Western Livestock Journal

For over a century, Western Livestock Journal has reported on the issues shaping the livestock industry and the people who make it work.

Cattle futures spent most of the trading day lower but turned around prior to the close. buff.ly/EPIZg18

Get the details at buff.ly/V9ztYy5.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting public input on the management of Mexican wolves, Colorado gray wolves and grizzly bears.

Read the full WLJ article at buff.ly/N5evztJ.

A land dispute along the Texas-Oklahoma border is testing state boundary law. A county court in Oklahoma shot down an attempt by a property owner to claim Texas land across the Red River. A second similar lawsuit filed by another Oklahoma landowner is still pending.

Learn more at buff.ly/GXhTBey.

The Department of Labor awarded $1,671,239 to the Nebraska Department of Labor to support individuals affected by the January closure of the Lexington, NE, Tyson Foods beef processing plant.

Export value per head also topped $415, reflecting strong demand in global markets.

Data from U.S. Meat Export Federation shows export value reached $126 million, the highest on record, even as overall beef export volume declined. Read more at buff.ly/54NX2c6.

The legislation comes as the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission recently voted to advance a citizen petition seeking to “prohibit the commercial sale of wildlife fur in Colorado." Opponents say the petition has legal, scientific and ethical issues.

“As part of Colorado’s wildfire resiliency strategy, it is critical for the state to conserve beavers on public land by prohibiting the taking of beavers for a recreational purpose or commerce in beaver fur, parts, or products on public land in the state,” the bill read.

Colorado state lawmakers introduced House Bill 26-1323 in early March, aimed at preventing the taking of beavers on public lands for recreational or commerce purposes. The bill claims beaver activity helps reduce wildfires, protect water quality and improve drought resilience.

The case was brought by Nevada ranching operations Colvin & Son LLC and Stone Cabin Ranch LLC, which hold grazing permits in areas where wild horse populations have exceeded federally established management levels. Learn more at buff.ly/MlhHbZ2.

The dispute centers on how to interpret the word “immediately” in the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WHA), a statute that directs federal agencies to remove excess animals from the range when overpopulation threatens rangeland health.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit heard oral arguments over whether federal law requires the government to move more quickly to remove excess wild horses from public rangelands in Nevada.

March wildfires have already burned over 700,000 acres across Nebraska. Get the full story at buff.ly/gbLCrRk

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Despite the ongoing strike at a Colorado JBS plant, the cattle market found some stronger footing over the week.

Details at buff.ly/WeIFj4z.

Authorities in Ward County, ND, are investigating a rural feedlot after reports of improper livestock disposal and possible environmental violations.