A hearing regarding the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) decision to shoot estray cattle in the New Mexico Gila National Forest was vacated Feb. 17 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The hearing was set for Feb. 22 and was brought on by the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association (NMCGA) and other industry groups with a lawsuit against the Feds.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services conducted aerial shootings to lethally remove unbranded and unauthorized cattle in the forest on Feb. 10-11. The service was successful in shooting around 65 head but had planned to shoot closer to 200 head.
Following the two-day operation, the Feds do not plan on conducting any further aerial lethal removal operations for 2022. If any aerial lethal operations do occur, they will be preceded by at least 45 days notice.
After a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction were denied by the court in a Feb. 9 hearing, the NMCGA deemed the request for a restraining order moot and requested to vacate the hearing set for after the shootings occurred.
In a Feb. 16 phone call, Loren Patterson, NMCGA president, told WLJ the association was reviewing its options on whether to continue with the lawsuit.
The two-day lethal operation was controversial to the industry, with NMCGA concerned about the precedent the action would set, along with the waste of beef. Patterson previously told WLJ he was concerned about whether producers’ private property was affected, as well as the potential impacts from leaving the carcasses where they were shot. — Anna Miller,WLJ managing editor
