The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is pleased to announce the creation of the Big Horn Sheep Coordinator position in conjunction with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) to help protect the growth of the indigenous wild sheep populations in Utah and prevent the spread of disease in domestic sheep and goats. Current UDAF employee, Phil Crowther, has been selected to fill this position.
“Protecting both wild and domestic sheep and goat populations from intermingling and spreading disease is the goal of this program and we feel Phil Crowther is a great choice to bridge the gap between wildlife coordinators and livestock producers” said Leann Hunting, UDAF director of Animal Industry.
The Big Horn Sheep Coordinator will seek out domestic sheep and goat producers in proximity to occupied and unoccupied bighorn sheep habitat and will work with producers to reduce the risk of disease transmission while providing mutual benefit to producers and their livestock.
Phil Crowther has been serving and will continue to serve as the Domestic Elk Program manager and has experience working with domestic and indigenous wildlife and will be able to further use his experience to improve the situation with wild and domestic sheep and goats.
If you are a producer of domestic sheep and goats and would like to be part of this program or have a concern about contact with wild sheep and goats, please contact the Animal Industry Division at udaf-animaldivision@utah.gov.
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