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2009 News Releases


Board of Horse Racing Approves Added Race Dates for 2010

December 21, 2009

HELENA - The Montana Board of Horse Racing has approved 18 days of racing for 2010 at its three racetracks throughout the state. [More]


MDOL Announces Outreach Efforts for Brucellosis Comments

December 4, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock today announced a cooperative outreach plan to provide information about its surveillance proposal for areas with risk of brucellosis transmission from wildlife to livestock. [More]


MDOL Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Trichomoniasis Rule

December 1, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock is accepting  public comment on proposed rule changes for Trichomoniasis through December 24. [More]


BOL Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Brucellosis Order

November 24, 2009

The Montana Board of Livestock is seeking public comment on a draft order that proposes to create Designated Surveillance Area (DSA) for continued brucellosis surveillance, vaccination and traceability requirements in areas with risk of brucellosis transmission from wildlife to livestock. [More]


Livestock Producers Reminded of Brucellosis Testing Deadline

October 13, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock is reminding producers that the state's Brucellosis Action Plan, which remains in effect until January 10, 2010, calls for testing of all sexually intact cattle 12 months of age and older in Area 1 (Beaverhead, Carbon, Gallatin, Madison, Park, Stillwater and Sweet Grass counties) by December 31, 2009. [More]


APHIS Brucellosis Plan Open for Public Comment

October 7, 2009

USDA-APHIS has published a concept paper describing a "new direction" for nation's bovine brucellosis program, thus announcing the agency's desire to update and revise its aging regulatory framework for the disease. [More]


Estrayed Livestock Now Listed On-Line

October 7, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock has gone live with its new online estray notice system. [More]


Board of Livestock Holds the Line on Per Capita Fees

September 24, 2009

Despite rising operational costs and a challenging fiscal forecast, the Montana Board of Livestock held the line on per capita fees for livestock at its meeting in Bozeman, September 21-22. [More]


Governor Receives Brucellosis Class Free Certificate from USDA-APHIS

September 2, 2009

(HELENA) – Governor Brian Schweitzer today was presented Montana’s Brucellosis Class Free Certificate from Dr. Brian McCluskey, western regional director of the USDA-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service’s Veterinary Services. [More]


MDOL Seeks Input on Federal Brucellosis Rules

July 30, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) is hosting informational meetings to solicit input from livestock producers about revising federal brucellosis rules. [More]


Season’s First Case of West Nile Virus in Horses Confirmed

July 29, 2009

State animal health officials have confirmed Montana's first case of West Nile virus (WNV) in horses, and are warning equine owners to be aware of the mosquito-borne disease and take preventative measures to reduce the risk of transmission. [More]


Import States Drop Restrictions on Montana Cattle

July 22, 2009

States are dropping restrictions on importing cattle from Montana after the USDA-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) upgraded the state from Class A to Class Free Status earlier this month. [More]


Montana Moves Forward with Brucellosis Action Plan

July 17, 2009

Now that Montana has regained its Brucellosis Class Free Status, the state will continue with implementation of its Brucellosis Action Plan as well as efforts to modernize federal brucellosis requirements. [More]


USDA Reinstate's Montana's Brucellosis Class Free Status

July 9, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) today announced that the USDA-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reinstated the state's Brucellosis Class Free Status. [More]


Yellowstone County Rabies Quarantine Extended

June 25, 2009

A rabies quarantine in Yellowstone County has been extended through August 20 after a skunk tested positive for the disease. [More]


Vaccination Reduces Potential for West Nile Virus in Horses

June 18, 2009

Cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) in horses are down 80-plus percent from peak highs as equine owners learn to combat the disease, and animal health officials are encouraging horse owners to vaccinate their animals against the mosquito-borne disease. [More]


Livestock Department Rescinds 2007 Rules for Stallion Imports and EVA

May 18, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock has rescinded a 2007 rule concerning the importation of stallions and testing for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA), and a new rule will take effect on Monday, May 18, the department announced today. [More]


MDOL to Hold Town Hall Meetings, Collect Producer Input on New Trichomoniasis Rule

May 13, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock has scheduled a series of town hall listening sessions around the state to hear what cattle producers think about the department’s plans for amending the current rule on trichomoniasis, a disease that can cause economically devastating reproductive losses in cattle. [More]


New Brucellosis Testing Requirements Take Effect Friday, May 15

May 13, 2009

New brucellosis testing requirements will take effect Friday, May 15, under the state’s Brucellosis Action Plan (BAP), the Board of Livestock formally decided today – and the cost of testing will be covered by an appropriation passed by the 2009 Legislature. [More]


Brucellosis Action To Take Effect May 15; Testing May Be Required in Seven Counties

April 30, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) today announced it expects its Brucellosis Action Plan to be implemented by May 15. [More]


Dawson County Rabies Quarantine Extended

March 26, 2009

A rabies quarantine in Dawson County has been extended through May 25 after two dogs were potentially exposed to the disease by an infected skunk. The county was originally quarantined on January 28 after a skunk tested positive for the disease. [More]


Sweetgrass County Rabies Quarantine Extended

March 18, 2009

A rabies quarantine in Sweetgrass County has been extended through May 18 after four dogs and two cats were potentially exposed to the disease by an infected skunk. [More]


Yellowstone County Rabies Quarantine Extended

March 18, 2009

A rabies quarantine in Yellowstone County has been extended for a second time after two skunks trapped by local animal control officers tested positive for the disease. [More]


Wolf Depredation Board Seeks Board Member

March 10, 2009

Montana’s Livestock Loss Reduction and Mitigation Board is seeking a new board member to fill the remaining term of recently deceased board member, Hilliard McDonald. [More]


Yellowstone County Rabies Quarantine Extended

March 4, 2009

A rabies quarantine in Yellowstone County has been extended after a skunk tested positive for the disease. [More]


Sweet Grass County Quarantined for Rabies

February 19, 2009

Sweet Grass County has been placed under a 60-day quarantine for rabies, effective February 13, 2009, after a skunk that tested positive for the disease was killed by two pet dogs. [More]


Lewis & Clark County Quarantined for Rabies

February 19, 2009

Lewis & Clark County has been placed under a 60-day quarantine for rabies, effective February 13, 2009, after an unvaccinated semi-feral cat in East Helena produced a presumptive-positive test for the disease. [More]


Montana Mare Released from CEM Quarantine

February 19, 2009

A quarter horse mare in Montana that was exposed to contagious equine metritis (CEM), a highly contagious venereal disease of horses that causes temporary infertility and spontaneous abortion, has been released from quarantine. [More]


Stillwater County Quarantined for Rabies

February 12, 2009

Stillwater County has been placed under a 60-day quarantine for rabies, effective February 11, 2009, after a skunk that tested positive for the disease was killed by two pet dogs. [More]


Brucellosis Action Plan meeting set for Park County

January 13, 2009

The Montana Department of Livestock will discuss its brucellosis action plan with Park County livestock producers at an informational meeting on January 21, 1:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds in Livingston. [More]


Informational Meetings on Brucellosis Action Plan Scheduled

January 8, 2009

UPDATED to include date and location of Park County meeting on January 21, and to update location for Carbon County meeting on February 2.

The Montana Department of Livestock will discuss its brucellosis action plan with livestock producers at a series of informational meetings in mid-January and early February. [More]


Montana Mare Quarantined for CEM

January 7, 2009

A quarter horse mare in Montana has been quarantined after exposure to contagious equine metritis (CEM), a highly contagious venereal disease of horses that causes temporary infertility and spontaneous abortion. [More]


Brucellosis Action Plan meeting set for Gallatin County

January 7, 2009

Livestock producers in Gallatin County will get an opportunity to review the Montana Department of Livestock's (MDOL) brucellosis action plan at the Gallatin Beef Producers annual educational luncheon and business meeting on January 13. [More]