Utah
Utah’s domesticated elk program at ‘critical juncture’ due to disease, state says
An elk is pictured bugling on this Sept. 13, 2017, photograph. Utah agricultural leaders say power losing illness amongst home herds has them questioning the way forward for the state’s home elk program. (Utah Division of Wildlife Sources)
Estimated learn time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s domesticated elk program is in peril due to a rising risk of power losing illness traced to an outbreak in Utah and Canada, state agriculture officers warn.
The scenario is extreme sufficient that Craig Buttars, commissioner of the Utah Division of Agriculture and Meals, is asking for the Utah Legislature’s Pure Sources, Agriculture and Atmosphere Interim Committee to evaluation this system to see if it is value persevering with and, in that case, what steps ought to be taken to maintain this system afloat.
“I have been accused of making an attempt to close this program down, our state vet has been accused of making an attempt to close this program down — our concern is just not and our intent is to not shut this system down however beneath present rules and guidelines, we have now come to some extent the place we are able to now not function a viable domesticated elk program right here within the state,” Buttars instructed members of the committee throughout a listening to Wednesday morning.
Utah’s domesticated elk program turned 25 years outdated this 12 months, created via the Domesticated Elk Act that the Utah Legislature handed in 1997. The laws paved the best way for accredited Utah farms to lift elk basically in the identical means another livestock can be dealt with, together with being harvested for meat, pelt and antlers. Mature bulls will also be offered for searching on personal property.
There are at the moment 36 farms, hunt parks and zoos accredited beneath this program throughout the state, in accordance with the Utah Division of Agriculture and Meals.
However Buttars stated its success hinges on stopping power losing illness, a transmissible illness that impacts the nervous techniques of deer, elk and moose. The illness, which is 100% deadly in contaminated creatures, causes mind lesions and different points earlier than the creature ultimately dies. It is thought-about “comparatively uncommon” however has circulated round Utah wildlife since at the very least 2002, in accordance with the Utah Division of Wildlife Sources.
It is a illness that may solely be found after the animal dies, which makes it troublesome to stop. There have been a bit of over 100 confirmed circumstances in Utah wildlife over the previous 20 years.
The issue, Buttars explains, is that there are a rising variety of circumstances rising amongst Utah farms and related farms in Canada, that are possible the supply of Utah’s circumstances.
Farms in Canada have equipped almost 90% of the home elk imported into Utah since 2017, in accordance with division knowledge. Buttars wrote in an adjoining memo {that a} unfold of power losing illness in Canada and Utah has this system at a “important juncture,” inflicting a quarantine at Utah farms and an incapacity to import Canadian elk.
“Alberta, Canada, is quickly being overrun with (power losing illness) and that is making it troublesome to seek out herds that qualify for entry into the state,” he instructed the committee, noting that the Canadian authorities knowledgeable the state they’re conscious of 12 herds that examined optimistic for the illness since 2017 and had been solely in a position to verify two of these farms did not ship elk to the U.S.
“Which means that (there have been) 10 optimistic herds possible imported in Utah and we had been solely notified about two earlier this 12 months,” Butters added. “Our animal well being employees was in a position to decide the identification of 1 different herd primarily based on animal IDs offered however we nonetheless have seven unknown and certain optimistic farms which have imported (the illness) into Utah.”
And the shortcoming to check for the illness in stay animals places the division in a “troublesome spot,” he concluded.
Although the 36 farms and hunt parks are required to be fenced off from wild herds, Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, expressed concern that Utah’s home circumstances might attain wild herds. Dr. Dean Taylor, the Utah state veterinarian, clarified there are circumstances of the illness already out within the wild herd but it surely is not “uniformly all through the state at this level.”
Taylor additionally stated throughout the assembly that, in 2020, the state depopulated about 700 animals, discovering one confirmed case. However because the illness’s incubation interval ranges from 18 months to 7 years, he stated there might have been extra contaminated. So a 1 out of 700 charge, he stated, can be thought-about “deceptive.”
The division is simply beginning to do related exams following the latest details about circumstances in Canada. Nevertheless, if the state continues to import elk from Canada, he believes the danger will solely enhance. This is the reason the division is requesting the Pure Sources, Agriculture and Atmosphere Interim Committee to evaluation if the Legislature believes this system is value persevering with.
In the event that they consider it is value holding round, it asks if the state ought to proceed permitting in elk from Canada or if adjustments ought to be made to extend entry to elk. It additionally requested the committee to evaluation if the U.S. Division of Agriculture ought to take management of the state’s herd certification program, if testing necessities from farms and hunt parks ought to be alerted or if amenities with confirmed illness circumstances ought to proceed as farms.
It is quite a bit to contemplate as a result of even a pause of this system might put a few of the 36 farms out of enterprise, Buttars stated.
“We’re most likely at a brand new crossroads (and) we have to relook at some issues,” stated Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton.
In the meantime, business specialists who attended Wednesday’s assembly expressed assist to find options to maintain this system going past 25 years, even when it means discovering new areas to import elk from due to the considerations with the illnesses.
Steve Stieler, representing the North American Elk Breeders Affiliation, stated that home breeders share a priority with defending wild herds, as nicely. All of this is the reason elk breeders wish to assist because the state opinions the way forward for this system due to what’s at stake.
“There are some actual folks, actual households that care about this final result,” he stated. “They rely upon this for his or her livelihood.”
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Utah
Utah family creates 'Giving Gallery' to spread joy of art
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — You might have heard of little libraries in neighborhoods, but have you heard of Giving Galleries?
A family in Cottonwood Heights is using their love for art to bring joy to those around them.
On the corner of Promenade and Camino is Abigail Bradshaw.
“I’m standing next to an art gallery, my art gallery. That’s my house,” she proudly said.
Abigail is showing her tiny art gallery filled with pieces made by her family and others who want to contribute. This home used to be her great-grandmother’s.
“She was an artist, and so, I wanted to continue that legacy,” said Katie Bradshaw, Abigail’s mom. They found a box, painted it, propped it up, and filled it with tiny art. Anyone can just look at the art, pick up something they like, or put their own piece inside.
Miles Jacobsen is a friend who saw what the Bradshaws were doing and added his artwork to the box.
For people who want to make their own masterpieces, there is also a box of free art supplies in the gallery box. You can come by to pick up paint, paintbrushes, and tiny canvasses to create your own art, which you can drop off at the “giving gallery” to bring joy to someone else.
“I feel really glad that people come and get some art and put it in there,” said Abigail.
Filling the box is something Katie does with her kids.
“I hope that they can carry this with them, that they continue sharing art, no matter where they are,” she said.
Spreading joy to everyone who walks by, and letting the cycle continue.
“I want them to feel happy and glad that they got some, so they could return some back here,” added Abigail.
Utah
Amid traffic, Utah walked to Leafs’ arena pregame
TORONTO — The Utah Hockey Club said players were forced to walk to their game against the Maple Leafs after their bus got stuck in Toronto traffic Sunday night.
The team posted a video on social media of team members walking to Scotiabank Arena, with player Maveric Lamoureux saying the bus was “not moving at all.”
Several city streets had been closed during the day for an annual Santa Claus parade.
The Maple Leafs earned their fourth consecutive win by defeating Utah 3-2.
The viral incident prompted Ontario Premier Doug Ford to call the congestion “embarrassing” and “unacceptable,” highlighting his government’s plan to address the city’s gridlock through bike lane legislation.
It wasn’t the first time a Toronto visitor had to ditch their vehicle to make it to an event on time.
In June, former One Direction band member Niall Horan had to walk through traffic to get to his concert at Scotiabank Arena.
Utah
Utah Highway Patrol responds to your suggestions on making Utah roads safer
SALT LAKE CITY — FOX 13 News is Driven to Change and that includes bringing you reports on important topics like road rage, construction, and wrong-way drivers. During our coverage, we continually ask for any questions or concerns you may have along Utah’s roadways.
The feedback has gotten an enormous response, so FOX 13 sat down with Lieutenant Cameron Roden on Good Day Utah to help address input we have been getting, from the perspective of Utah Highway Patrol.
Speeding in Utah, there’s so much of it, and then you can sometimes say that that leads to tailgating, which may lead to road rage incidents. What are you seeing out there in terms of speed and what can we do to lessen the effects of that?
Lt. Cameron Roden: Speed is our number one thing that we see. That’s our number one traffic stop that we make, and we know that it leads to the majority of crashes in the state of Utah. So we definitely put an emphasis on speed and it does lead to other things. Not just crashes. It leads to road rage and other things .So, as far as what changes can we make, we need to start with ourselves, and really say, ‘Hey, do I have a problem?’ You know, we just need to start with ourselves and not think that it’s something else’s problem. If we slow our speeds ourselves, and then it’ll start to to catch on and people will do that speed limit. So, but the legislature has definitely taken some steps to help us address, especially the the speeds that are those excessive speeds where we have that one zero five law now that addresses those speeds and increases fines and and hopefully discourages people from those extreme speeds.
Some of our viewers talked about maybe capping some of the speed limits for truck drivers. Is that something that’s even feasible?
You know, that would be something that would have to go through that, that legislative process to see whether we that would be something that would help. But ultimately, if we we start with ourselves, hopefully that will make that change and reduce crashes and fatalities.
There are things being done to try and intervene and stop wrong-way drivers before they happen. But some of our viewers propose things like spikes. What are your thoughts on implementing something like that?
We’ve had over the last several years, a rash of wrong-way drivers, and it’ll come in onesie twos, and then we’ll go for a period of time without that. And so, but this spike over the last couple of years has caused us to to create a task force to look at wrongly driving what things can be done. And so getting all these stakeholders together between UDOT and Highway Safety, looking at what technologies and things that could be implemented, and and things like, wrong way detection cameras. Those are some things that are being actually used in the state of Utah right now to help us spot those and and advance signage, getting people to realize they’re going the wrong way and turn around. The the spike strips have actually been talked about in our task force a little bit. And if something like that would even be, it is that technology available right now. And as what we could actually implement in the state of Utah, there’s nothing that really fits the bill right now because of our environment. We have our snow plows. We have snow and things like that. Something like that really wouldn’t be practical right now.
Probably the most talked about topic that we’ve received was distracted driving, texting while driving. You went out, I saw on the UHP social media page, that you guys just driving and you look to your right and left and you can find someone texting. What kind of enforcement do we have against distracted driving specifically on your phone?
This is something that we like you said, we see it every day. We go out to crashes,and and we may suspect that a driver may be distracted. And so, it’s something that’s definitely under-reported. It’s it’s a bigger problem than than the numbers really show.And so not only do we address it during our normal patrols.Our officers are seeing it, and addressing it while they’re out there.But we’ll also do targeted patrols where the highway safety office actually gives out additional funds for that targeted enforcement, where we’ll get an unmarked vehicle. We go out driving down the roads where we try to spot these vehicles and and get them stopped because those are those are a big danger on our roadways where our attention and our focus needs to be on driving.
If you have ideas or suggestions for how to make Utah’s roadways safer click here to be taken to our Driven to Change form. There you can share your ideas or suggestions.
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