Ag Secretary Proposes Closing Idaho's Sheep Research Station

In late June USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter to House Appropriators stating he would close the Dubois, Idaho, U.S. Sheep Experimental Station due to prolonged period of declining and flat budgets which have resulted in underfunded programs at the station.
Public Lands Council Executive Director Dustin VanLiew says the livestock industry is very concerned about this proposed closure as it is the only research station of its kind.
VanLiew: “In response the industry has recently sent a letter to the appropriations in the House, opposing the closure of the research station and registering our concerns with members of Congress in an effort to keep it open and push back against this misguided action by the secretary.”
There have been multiple lawsuits against the station by animal activist groups that may have provided motivation for the Secretary’s proposed closure.
VanLiew: “This is very concerning because as a research station providing information to inform federal decisions we don’t really believe that this station should be subject to this NEPA analysis. And that is something we included in the letter to Congress was to A) Not only keep the research station open but B) exempt it from these draconian environmental analysis requirements to take away that threat of lawsuits. It seems that the Secretary is buckling to pressure from these radical groups instead of deal with the problem and keep this viable research entity open rather take the easy route and just say we are going to close it down.”
A letter from Western members of Congress have asked to stop the closure of the research station. Thanks to Idaho’s Congressmen Mike Simpson, Raul Labrador, Oregon’s Greg Walden, and Washington’s Doc Hasting and Cathy McMorris Rodgers.