Environmental Project

Shooting of unbranded cattle in the Gila National Forest draws ire
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The U.S. Forest Service has been dealing with the problem of unbranded cattle roaming and damaging the Gila National Forest since the 1990s, with contracts awarded on a semi-regular basis dating back to 1998 to remove the animals. But a current plan to use helicopters to shoot the cattle resulted in backlash from ranchers as well as state legislators. The shooting of cattle is underway this month, starting Thursday morning. The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association filed a complaint in the federal district court of New Mexico this week asking for a restraining order to prevent the aerial shooting of cattle, however, following an emergency hearing on Wednesday, the request was denied. The operation targets three herds of cattle totalling 150 animals.