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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">Dear Senator Daines,<br></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><br></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">I
recently found a photo of you in front of a banner that says “Spending is the
Problem.”<span></span></span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">Most
Montanans probably do not know this, but for years you and the Secretary of Agriculture have engaged in a tug of war over the
continued operation of a federal facility known as the U.S. Sheep Experiment
Station. Started 100 years ago, the Sheep Station is located in the Centennial
Mountains of southwest Montana and grazes thousands of domestic sheep at
elevations that push 10,000 feet. The facility costs taxpayers nearly $2
million every year.</span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">There are
over 16,000 acres of Sheep Station land in Montana that are closed to the
public for hiking, hunting and camping. Commissioners for
MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks have asked that the area
be opened to the public. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team has asked the Sheep Station to find an alternative place to graze its sheep. </span></font><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"></span></font><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">U.S.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack sent a letter to Congress
announcing his plans to consolidate the research at the Sheep Station with that
of a larger animal research facility in Nebraska.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><br></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"> Senator Daines, you blocked
the consolidation.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><br><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"></span></font><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"></span></font><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">Cottonwood
Environmental Law Center has been filing lawsuits against the U.S. Sheep
Experiment Station for the past several years. Our lawsuits call out the Federal
Government for lying to the public. </span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"> </span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">For
example, the Federal Government said there had never been a human/grizzly bear
encounter on Sheep Station property in the Centennial Mountains. Cottonwood
received documents through a Freedom of Information Act request that say
domestic sheepherders at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station have been “chased”
by grizzly bears. </span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"> </span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">Senator
Daines, do you think most Montanans support domestic sheep research that puts
peoples’ lives at risk? </span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">Moving the sheep research to Nebraska would save taxpayers millions of
dollars, reduce the size of our federal government and still provide for
continued sheep research. According to Secretary Vilsack, facility conditions
at the Sheep Station are some of the worst within the entire Agricultural
Research Service. To continue operating the facility, the government will need
to spend between $2 and $4 million to replace corroded water lines, fix
deteriorating buildings and upgrade IT infrastructure. Consolidating the Sheep
Station with the Nebraska facility makes good economic sense.</span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">
</span></font><p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">The Sheep Station recently submitted a declaration to the District of Montana stating it would not graze in the Centennial Mountains until it
completes an Environmental Impact Statement.</span></font><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><span> Senator Daines, if the Sheep Station completes its Environmental
Impact Statement and decides to move its research to the Nebraska facility are
you going to pass another rider to continue spending our tax payer dollars? </span></span></font><br><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><span></span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?"">Montanans
would appreciate a response, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?"">Footnote
1: The Continental Divide Trail crosses land operated by the U.S. Sheep
Experiment Station. Please watch the first 90 seconds of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW2dou_GsAs">YouTube video</a> to
see U.S. Sheep Experiment Station sheep dogs chasing a hiker on the Continental
Divide Trail. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?"">Footnote
2: Cottonwood is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
As such we are sending this email to help educate the public on important
matters impacting people and public land in Montana. <br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?""><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?""><img src="cid:ii_1577cb3698f856c1" alt="Inline image 2" height="259" width="460"><br></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"\002020\0002c6\0000f8\0000ec\0000a5)5\002738\002020\0000b1\002020ab?""> </span></p>
</div><font size="2"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><span></span></span></font><div>
<br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><span></span><br><span><a href="http://www.cottonwoodlaw.org" target="_blank"><img src="https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B8BXBsjEi27fWVlIbS11X2tocDg&revid=0B8BXBsjEi27fdHhkVDFwZHk5Q1JuRE1tWEE0QWl6d3FSNWRzPQ" height="83" width="200"></a></span><span><br></span><br><span><span><span>John Meyer<br>Executive Director & General Counsel <br>Cottonwood Environmental Law Center</span></span><br>P.O. Box 412 Bozeman, MT 59771<br>John@Cottonwoodlaw.org<br><span>(406) 546-0149</span><br><br>The
information contained herein is privileged and confidential. If you are
not the intended recipient, you must delete this email and inform the
sender of the error.<br><br></span><div><a href="http://www.cottonwoodlaw.org" target="_blank">www.cottonwoodlaw.org</a><br><br><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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