As a producer-driven federation of state associations, ASI communicates the associations’ position on policies developed by its membership. Please check out the specific policy issues in Washington, D.C., that affect America’s sheep producers.
ASI One Pager – Farm Bill – 2023
ASI 2023 Farm Bill Conference Priorities: Refer to the ASI One Pager
ASI 2018 Farm Bill Conference Priorities:
2022 Section 32 Purchase Request
September 2022 – U.S. Senate Request
October 2022 – U.S. House Request
ASI One Pagers – ASI Priority Issues
January 28, 2021 – Bicameral Letter to Acting Secretary Shea on Small Ruminant Rule
February 5, 2021 – Senate Letter to OMB on Small Ruminant Rule
February 12, 2021 – Rep. Herrell letter to Acting Secretary Shea on Small Ruminant Rule
February 2019 – Statement Supporting the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA)
May 2018 – ASI Trade Letter to Under Secretary Ted McKinney
July 2016 – Proposed Rule; The rulemaking would amend the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie regulations regarding the importation of live sheep, goats and wild ruminants and their embryos, semen, products and byproducts. The proposed scrapie revisions regarding the importation of sheep, goats and susceptible wild ruminants for other than immediate slaughter are similar to those recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health in restricting the importation of such animals to those from scrapie-free regions or certified scrapie-free flocks.
September 2016 – ASI Comments
ASI One Pagers – ASI Priority Issues
March 2023 – ASI Comments on USCIS Fee Increase
June 2021 – ASI joint comments on Temporary and Seasonal Need for Herding on the Range Applications
December 2019 – ASI Comments on USCIS Fee Schedule and Changes
September 2019 – ASI Comments on Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants
March 2018 –
Support of H.R. 1773, the Agriculture Guestworker Act of 2013
June 2013 – Sen. Enzi’s Statement on the Floor Re: Sheepherders in Immigration Reform Bill
October 2009 – Comments to Federal Register
January 2009 – Letter to DOL of H-2A Changes
April 2008 – H-2A Comments to Department of Homeland Security
ASI One Pager – Wildlife Services
2023 Wildlife Services Letter of Support
The more than 200 organizations representing a broad range of food producers, wildlife organizations, sportsmen, aviation, local governments and resource interests that benefit from the cooperative efforts of the Wildlife Services program sent letters to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate showing support for WS funding and to oppose any effort to restrict or eliminate WS funding.
2022 Wildlife Services Letter of Support
2021 Wildlife Services Letter of Support
2020 Wildlife Services Letter of Support
ASI One Pager – Bighorn Sheep in Domestic Sheep Grazing Allotments
June 2021 – ASI Comments on Bridger-Teton National Forest; Bighorn Sheep Forest Plan Amendment
May 30, 2018 – ASI/PLC Comments on Utah Mineral Mountain Bighorn Sheep Unit Plan
October 11, 2017 – ASI Comments on Nevada Wilderness Area Proposed Capture
December 22, 2016 – ASI Comments on Nevada Bighorn Proposed Translocation
March 2016 – BLM Releases Policy 1730 Risk of Contact Policy
February 2016 – Secretary of Agriculture and Chief of the Forest Service Held in Contempt of Court for Use of Illegal Reports on Disease Transmission from Livestock to Bighorn Sheep
August 6, 2015 – Testimony before the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Interior “Threats to Grazing from Federal Regulatory Overreach”
- Testimony of Shaun Sims, Wyoming Sheep Ranch
- Testimony of Randy Parker, CEO Utah Farm Bureau Federation
June 2015 – USDA Letter to Permittees regarding Bighorn Sheep Grazing
June 2015 – Undersecretary Robert Bonnie’s Response to Congressional Bighorn Letter
April 2015 – Congressional Bighorn Letter to Secretaries Vilsack and Jewell
November 11, 2014 – USFS West-Wide Bighorn Sheep Areas and Domestic Sheep and/or Goat Grazing Allotment
November 11, 2014 – USFS West-Wide Bighorn Sheep Occupied Habitat and Domestic Sheep Grazing Allotments
Public Lands
ASI One-Pagers – ASI Priority Issues
August 2019 – ASI Comments Ashley National Forest Draft Environmental Impact Statement
July 2019 – ASI Comments Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Notice to Prepare EIS
July 10, 2017 – ASI Comments on Monument Designation Review
May 26, 2017 – ASI Comments on Bears Ears National Monument
January 9, 2017 – Coalition Letter to President Elect Trump – National Monuments and Antiquities Act
December 1, 2017 – BLM Releases Flawed Planning Rule in the Closing Days of Presidents Term
2010 American Society of Animal Science Small Ruminant Symposium Abstracts – “Going, going, gone!” How curtailment of livestock grazing on federal lands could alter the U.S. sheep industry
National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition
The American Sheep Industry Association is a member of the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition. To learn more about the Horse and Burro Coalition, go to its website at wildhorserange.org.
October 4, 2017 – ASI Comments to Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board
June 22, 2016 – Testimony to the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Federal Lands
- Hearing Testimony
- Hearing Testimony Attachments
Coalition Communications:
September 22, 2016 – Coalition Letter to Public Rangeland Management
April 13, 2016 – Public testimony calling for the BLM to manage horses and burros at Appropriate Management Levels to protect the rangeland ecosystem
March 23, 2016 – BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Activities in FY 2017 Budget Proposal
February 3, 2016 – Comments of the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition on EA – Mare Sterilization Research – DOI-BLM-OR-B000-2015-0055-EA
January 4, 2016 – Horse and Burro Coalition Launches 2016 Information and Education Campaign
November 5, 2015 – Coalition Letter to BLM Regarding Beaty Butte Wild Horse Gather
November 4, 2015 – Congressional Letter to BLM Regarding Wild Horse Situation
November 4, 2015 – Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Letter to Secretary of the Interior on Over-population of Wild Horses
ASI One Pager – Scrapie Eradication
May 2018 – ASI Letter to Under Secretary Greg Ibach re: Scrapie Tags
July 2016 – Proposed Rule; This rulemaking would amend the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie regulations regarding the importation of live sheep, goats and wild ruminants and their embryos, semen, products and byproducts. The proposed scrapie revisions regarding the importation of sheep, goats and susceptible wild ruminants for other than immediate slaughter are similar to those recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health in restricting the importation of such animals to those from scrapie-free regions or certified scrapie-free flocks.
ASI One-Pagers – ASI Priority Issues
Meat Processing
August 2021 – ASI Comments on Investments/Opportunities for Meat Processing
Waters of the United States
April 2019 – ASI Comments on Proposed Rule, Revised Definition “Waters of the United States”
Endangered Species Act Reform
July 2019 – ASI, PLC, and NCBA Comments on Delisting Gray Wolves
July 2018 – Coalition Support Letter Senate ESA Modernization Bill
November 2018 – Gray Wolf State Management Act Letter to Leadership
November 2018 – Manage Our Wolves Act Support Letter
Electronic Logging Device and Hours of Service
February 2019 – ASI Comments on Hours of Service Petition
October 2018 – Livestock Marketing Association Comments on Hours of Service
March 2018 – Petition to Delay ELD for Agricultural Commodities
Livestock Dealer Trust
June 2019 – ASI Comments Feasibility Study Livestock Dealer Trust
Tax Reform
March 2017 – ASI Urges Estate Tax Repeal
2014 Farm Bill
April 28, 2014 – Clint Kreb’s Testimony Before the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit Hearing
GIPSA
October 13, 2016 – Letter from Secretary Vilsack to Barry Carpenter Regarding “Fair Farm Practice Rules”
Forest Service Directive on Groundwater Resource Management
September 2, 2014 – PLC, ASI, NCBA and ANG Comments to Forest Service