Schweitzer Shows Leadership, Foresight to Protect Montana Cattle from Brucellosis

The Governor's ideas for better protecting Montana cattle herds from brucellosis:

• Persuade APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) to form a separateregion a few miles from Park boundaries inside of which ranchers would get federal help in thoroughly testing cattle for the disease. This would protect ranchers all over the state from loss of brucellosis-free status when it eventually shows up in the Yellowstone area.
  This would even be a benefit to producers in this area as the Feds would be paying for the extra testing.

• Offer existing cattle ranchers in the near-Yellowstone who are willing to remove cattle voluntarily an amount of $ equal to the lost value of cattle, and more. They can then run horses, mules, lamas, etc. to earn even more income.

Both of these ideas are being adamantly opposed by the Stockgrowers organization, an old organization that resists change of any kind. They have controlled the Board of Livestock for decades, and have not had to listen to facts. Now again they have taken their eye off the ball. They are focused only on the bison, but elk also have the disease.

Thankfully the Stockgrowers is now dwindling in member numbers as cattle producers catch on. The Montana Cattleman's Association is a more representative organization that represents local producers rather than large corporate and national operations.