RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Wyoming Representative Chip Neiman’s House Bill 229, which passed in the Wyoming legislature, allows livestock owners to choose how they track their animals for disease traceability purposes.

Just last week, anthrax was confirmed in a group of cattle traveling through a South Dakota auction house. South Dakota State Veterinarian Beth Thompson was able to determine which animals were exposed, and immediate action was taken.

With Monday’s Livestock Producers Freedom Rally focusing on EID tracking, Neiman stressed the importance of getting a bill similar to his passed in South Dakota to better ensure the health of livestock in the region.

”It blows me away that South Dakota, a state that is so steeped in agriculture, would struggle to be able to get this passed. It’s proved to me how important it is to be able to protect the choices and the freedoms of the people and the state of Wyoming as they saw it. We needed that latitude to be able to identify our livestock the way we saw fit,” Neiman said.

Neiman encouraged everyone in attendance to talk with local officials to push for similar legislation in South Dakota, as he says he’s seen the positive effects his bill has had on the Cowboy State.

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DAYTON, Wyo. – Fire crews have established containment on 10% of the Elk Fire burning in the Bighorn National Forest even as the wildfire reportedly grew to nearly 73,000 acres.

In an update Monday morning, fire officials said the wildfire has been mapped at 72,998 acres. A total of 680 personnel are currently assigned to fight the fire, which was first reported on Sept. 27.

Two homes have been lost to the flames, and evacuation orders remain in place for many areas affected by the fire.

Also on Monday the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office announced some cabin owners in the area of Red Grade Road would be allowed into the closed area to retrieve items.

Here is the full Monday update:

Key Messages: The fire is now 10% contained. The added containment is along the northeast edge of the fire, to the north of Dayton. Efforts on the southern end of the fire are focused on taking actions to get ahead of fire movement and protect communities, as well as municipal watersheds in the Big Goose drainage, that are potentially threatened by the fire. Crews will be working using a variety of tools, such as structure protection and fireline construction, to prepare for future potential fire movement.

Current Situation: Smoke is settling over the Elk Fire area from fires further to the west. This is expected to continue and is likely to keep fire activity lower today. This smoke may also impact air operations as helicopters need a minimum of one mile visibility to operate safely on wildland fires.

Structure protection work will continue northwest of the fire in Little Horn Canyon and subdivisions along US HWY 14 between Dayton and Burgess Junction. They will be patrolling and mopping up any heat sources around structures. Structure protection is accomplished through a variety of methods such as removal of vegetation near structures, construction of fireline, and placement of hose and sprinklers where possible. On the eastern side of the fire, firefighters will continue to extinguish areas of heat along established firelines. Crews will also continue to patrol the area that is now contained.

South of the fire, crews are implementing strategies intended to protect homes, communities, the Sheridan watershed, and key infrastructure. The work includes developing new fireline on Red Grade Road near Bighorn, using heavy equipment and several fire crews. Structure protection tactics have been utilized to prepare the Big Goose Water Treatment facility for any fire that may move into the area. Efforts continue to minimize fire effects to the Big Goose Creek watershed, which feeds the water treatment facility.

Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The tactics used to suppress the fire will be determined by the terrain, fire and weather conditions, and medical response time with a focus on implementing plans and tactics that have a high probability of success.

Approximately 700 cattle were transported off the fire area this morning. This was possible through the collaborative efforts of this community and agencies supporting the fire.

Closures and Evacuations: The newest evacuation map can be found at the Sheridan County Emergency Management website, Sheridan County (sheridancountywy.gov). US Highway 14 remains closed from Dayton to Burgess Junction. See todays new release regarding temporary access to Red Grade Road for cabin owners. Please contact the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office at 307-672-3455 or Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174 for more information on evacuations and road closures.

The Bighorn National Forest Closure has been expanded to include the closure of Red Grade Road. Please view the updated order on the Bighorn National Forest website, Bighorn National Forest – Alerts & Closures (usda.gov).

Weather & Smoke Information: Today will continue to bring warm and dry conditions to the fire area as a high pressure system moves into the area. Winds are expected to be light and terrain-driven over the course of the day. Smoke from fires further to the west may cause smoke shading and keep temperatures lower than the forecasted highs ranging in the mid 60s to low 70s.

It is anticipated that the Elk Fire will continue to put up a smoke column; please go to the AirNow website (https://www.airnow.gov/) for smoke information.

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Search and rescue personnel from Wyoming’s Teton Range used their specialized helicopter to pick a deceased trail runner’s body off a Front Range mountain Thursday. 

The 31-year-old Boulder man’s body had remained on the steep, loose western face of Arikaree Peak since Aug. 28. 

Colorado rescue teams made two attempts at recovering the man’s body in the days following his fall, but called off the effort due to extreme safety risks to their own personnel. 

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Those Colorado teams contacted Teton County Search and Rescue early last week. A Teton crew joined a pair of Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers from Grand Teton National Park and flew in TCSAR’s Airbus A-Star helicopter to Granby on Wednesday. 

Thursday, with guidance from the Grand County Search and Rescue, the copter lowered crew members onto the mountain with a longer cable.

“They are able to deploy up to 450 feet of line below their helicopter and safely transport live loads,” Grand County Search and Rescue Field Director Greg Foley told CBS News Colorado. “The line length for this recovery was 250 feet.”

Foley explained that 250 feet was the maximum amount of cable on the U.S. military’s Blackhawk helicopter which attempted to place rescuers on the mountainside in earlier attempts. High winds complicated the mission that day. The A-Star’s narrower rotor radius also allowed it to safely move closer to the mountain.  

Foley added that 250 feet is “standard configuration for hoist rescues in Colorado.”

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“This was a unique rescue for us for many reasons,” said TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart in a social media post. “This was the first time we have been called down to Colorado and there were a lot of individuals and agencies involved in the rescue effort. This was also a tough rescue for us to assist with, from both a technical level and the heavy nature of the job. We are grateful that we were able to help get this man off the mountain and home to his family.”  

“TCSAR’s ability to insert rescuers by longline was key to making this recovery safe and quick for rescuers,” added Dale Atkins of Alpine Rescue Team, another team involved in the initial attempts to retrieve the body. “Ironically, this technique was something that some Colorado SAR teams did way back in the 1980s, but by the 1990s an increase in regulations and changes in attitudes lead to the practice going away. When it went away, our search and rescue tool box got smaller. For this recovery on Arikaree Peak, it was terrific that Grand County could bring in the TSCAR and Grand Teton NP crews to assist and get this man off the mountain.”