While grazing permittees have all the same animal health priorities as private lands producers in their sector, they also face the added challenge that some livestock diseases can be carried and transmitted by wildlife. A healthy herd is a productive herd, and American livestock producers take a wide variety of steps on a daily basis to protect their animals. PLC works on issues like Foot and Mouth Disease, Chronic Wasting Disease, and others that affect public land management.
Foot and Mouth Disease Movement Guidance for Public Lands
From 2022-2024, PLC worked with the American Sheep Industry Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, State Animal Health Officials, and federal agencies to develop guidance for animal health officials about how to address public lands ranchers and federal grazing allotments in the event of a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak, like Foot and Mouth Disease.
This new guidance adds to the body of preparation from the existing Secure Beef Supply Plan and Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan and makes clear that management will need to be tailored to federal lands grazing permittees’ individual situations in the event of an outbreak.
