Notice of Hearing on the Application to Use Sodium Fluoroacetate ...

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21 csrazi ons i n the aconczy , :zcr?zs2n- ;nloor:acc?
cieaend on and jupporr the agrical~arr? sector, and forced c5an;es
i n 1 i vi ng condi ti ons <strong>of</strong> rural f ami 1 i es . Under crass -exarni nati an,
Dr. 8owns acknowledged that he had not conducted any surveys <strong>of</strong>
ranchers abandoni ng sheep and goat ocerari ons or decl i n i ng co mzor
the business becausz c~f predation. He did indicztz rhat he had
talked to individual producers that have abandoned ~ h sheep 2 inlus~ry
wno gave predacicn 35 a ?r?dcm: nent fzctor in the cban~e in oper?zions.
He was unab12 to give numbers or names <strong>of</strong> these individua:~.
173. In 1977, the USDA published 3 r29or-c 'Factors In the Oecline o f the
'Nestern Shee? Industry." In gathering data for the reFort, a si;rvey
<strong>of</strong> a sample <strong>of</strong> ioner sheep praduc2rs in Colorado, Texas, Utah and
Yyoming 1~2s conducxed. The rzpcrt c:ncluaed that farm ?lock jrGGllC2ri
have declined r5pid:y in lunber beca?ise mcre attractive cppartunities
existed else'rthere for similar or better returns with less ~ime and
labor required. Although iarge-scale operations declined lesi rzpid1.y
than farm flock producers, they accounted for nost <strong>of</strong> -he declioe in
sheep numbers. LGW prices for lamb and wcol, frustration with
predation and restraints against strong corrective action, and
difficulties in obtaining good hired labor were reported as reasons
for the decline. Financial returns were frequently neager or ni 11
and the majority <strong>of</strong> former producers in Wycming were suffering
operatfonal losses, i.e., not even meeting cash costs, when They
di sconti nued production. The number <strong>of</strong> sheep ~roducers decl i ned by
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