BOISE, Idaho β Federal officials have released a plan to close about 30 square miles of grazing allotments to domestic sheep and goats in west-central Idaho to protect bighorn sheep from diseases.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's release of the final supplemental environmental impact statement closing three allotments starts a protest period that runs through June 19.
Two of the allotments are east of Riggins near the Salmon River and one is to the south along the Little Salmon River.
None of the allotments currently have domestic sheep, one because of a court order following a lawsuit.
The document released earlier this month replaces a 2008 plan that drew protests.
BLM officials say the new plan is partly based on a better understanding of the risks to bighorns of diseases transmitted by domestic sheep.
