ASI Executive Board Conducts Summer Meeting in South Dakota

August 9, 2024

The American Sheep Industry Association Executive Board met this week in Deadwood, S.D., for its annual summer meeting. The focus of the meeting each year is to set a budget for the coming fiscal year that will then need approval from the full board of directors. ASI’s new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

Executive Board members traveled to South Dakota on Monday before meeting all day on Tuesday to set the budget and discuss a variety of industry topics ranging from requests for Guard Dog funding to the upcoming Farm Bill to targeted grazing and plans for the 2026 ASI Annual Convention in Reno, Nev.

During the meeting, the Executive Board set both the Wool Trust and Fund II budgets for the upcoming fiscal year while also approving dues rates at the current level: 3.5 cents per stock sheep and $8 per member for state associations. Associate member and minimum dues rates for state dues were set at $400 and individual memberships were set at 3.5 cents per stock sheep or $50, whichever is greater.

The board approved a $15,000 contribution from the Guard Dog Fund to the Western Legal Resources Center for ongoing legal cases surrounding grazing of public lands.

At the request of ASI President Brad Boner of Wyoming, the board approved the appointment of a working group on agrivoltaics/solar grazing to identify partner and coalition opportunities for the American sheep industry.

In addition to meeting on Tuesday, the Executive Board held a well-attended reception that evening with members of Center of the Nation Wool and the South Dakota Sheep Growers Association.

The meeting concluded with a tour day on Wednesday as the Executive Board visited the Geis Ranch and Innes Ranch in eastern Wyoming.

Source: ASI