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ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah's ranchers are grappling with frustration over a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture mandate. Unveiled on April 26, the rule states that all sexually intact cattle and bison transported across state lines must bear electronically readable tags.
Metal clip tags were previously required for interstate travel. These will now be replaced by electronic radio frequency identification tags. Cattle and bison are exempt from official identification requirements if they are going directly to slaughter.
The new regulation, which also applies to animals used for rodeo or recreational events and dairy cattle, has prompted strong opposition from ranchers, who view it as federal overreach into their livelihoods. They also see it as another blow to what they call an already struggling industry.
"This rule represents another attempt by this administration to get ranchers off the land," said Iron County Commissioner Marilyn Wood, who is also a rancher. "They want the cattle off the range and they are doing everything they can to make sure ranching is overly burdensome and too costly for us to continue to ranch."
Read the full article at St. George News.
