Sheep Grazing Gets Attention

Sheep grazing will be closely scrutinized and a few roads will be closed in the upper Little Wood River drainage next year in an effort to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality in tributary streams.

If no improvement is seen this year, some grazing allotments could be closed, and others could be combined into a single grazing area, said Michael O’Farrell, acting ranger for the forest’s Ketchum District.

Most of the problems stem from heavy use of sheep trails into, and out of, grazing allotments, he said. Dirt from heavily eroded trails finds its way into streams, causing serious water quality problems.

Sawtooth Forest officials recently completed a three-year analysis of 90,000 acres in the upper Little Wood area, about 20 miles north of Carey.

The environmental assessment spells out several options for future grazing - ranging from no change to a complete ban on all domestic livestock grazing.