Forest Plan Bars Sheep Grazing Domestic Sheep Must Leave Hells Canyon For Bighorn

WallowaWhitman National Forest Supervisor Robert Richmond has again proposed eliminating domestic sheep from the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area to advance bighorn sheep recovery efforts there.

The U.S. Forest Service released an environmental assessment late last week that proposes terminating two sheep grazing allotments at the end of 1996. Affected would be the last resident sheep ranching operation in Hells Canyon at Temperance Creek, a permit now held by Oliver Wentz of Riley, Ore.

The other permit holder in Hells Canyon is Ben Howard of Bruneau, who has not run sheep in the canyon for three years, said Kurt Wiedenmann, the WallowaWhitman forest’s planning staff officer.

The new environmental assessment repeats a 1994 document and decision by Richmond. But he withdrew that decision last November, citing new evidence he wanted to consider, after 19 parties filed formal appeals.

One change in the new assessment is that it proposes maintaining the grazing permit held by Tim Shirts of Weiser. He runs sheep on the Payette National Forest and the southern slopes of the Seven Devils Mountains near New Meadows.

“That’s really not good bighorn habitat there so that’s why we decided there’s not incompatibility there,” Wiedenmann said.

The Wallowa-Whitman staff is trying to help Howard secure a cattle grazing allotment elsewhere on national forest land. The staff also has promised to try to help Wentz find another sheep allotment, although that search is proving difficult, Wiedenmann said.

On Friday, Wallowa-Whitman officials began notifying those who appealed the previous decision of the new proposal.

“I think the reaction is not favorable,” Wiedenmann said.