Wyoming Stock Growers Association adopts policies, recognizes awardees at summer convention

Laramie – Through a series of committee meetings and an association-wide business meeting at the Wyoming Cattle Industry 2011 Convention and Trade Show, which ran June 1-4 , the Wyoming Stock Growers Association both amended old policies and adopted new ones, listed as follows:
Stewardship
New Policy:
Whereas the State of Wyoming and its people have been blessed with abundant and spectacular natural resources; and
Whereas the citizens of Wyoming have a moral responsibility to respect and conserve these resources and to use them in a thoughtful and sustainable manner; and
Whereas ranchers have been and remain in the forefront of recognizing and carefully managing our renewable natural resources; and
Whereas the allocation of natural resources is an economic, political and legal decision;
Therefore Be It Resolved that the Wyoming Stock Growers Association strongly opposes efforts by churches and other religious organizations to obtain specific legal designations for our land in the name of moral or religious responsibility.
Water
New Policy:
WSGA supports adopting notice and consent rights to grazing permittees on federal lands regarding actions on federally held water permits and rights as proposed by the State Engineer.
Wildlife
Amended Policies:
# 9 Support the policy of zero tolerance of free roaming bison outside Yellowstone National Park and oppose the return to the Park of any bison that have tested positive for brucellosis.
# 22 Strongly support maintaining the predator status of the wolf in Wyoming except within Yellowstone and Teton National Parks, Jackson Hole Elk Refuge and those congressionally designated wilderness areas contiguous to the parts  that area currently designated by the Wyoming legislature for trophy game status and any additional seasonal area accepted by the Governor of Wyoming and the Wyoming legislature as necessary  for wolf connectivity and that are determined to be necessary to maintain a minimally viable wolf population as defined in a Wyoming Wolf Management Plan.
# 29 Urge the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to provide that every elk license issued in hunt areas within and adjacent to a Wyoming Livestock Board designated surveillance (DSA) area be accompanied by a blood tube test kit that will be used is to be returned with a blood sample to test for brucellosis to help determine the extent of the problem and that the Department provide incentives for the return of these blood samples.
Amended Renewed Policy:   
# 33 Oppose the WGFD obtaining any general fund monies to purchase real estate.