Roughly 100 Rocky Mountain goats are now living in the La Sal Mountains. Two hunting permits were issued for the goats this fall, making it the first year the state made the herd available to Utah's hunters. Meanwhile, the nonnative herd continues to be at the center of a years' long debate involving the state, the U.S. Forest Service, and environmental groups. The U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard oral arguments in a case brought by the Grand Canyon Trust and the Utah Native Plant Society against the U.S. Forest Service. They want the federal agency to remove the goats, and argue that the herd is causing damage to pristine high alpine areas. [photo credit: Grand Canyon Trust]
