Brucellosis Compensation Fund In Action
Gathering the herd for spring branding
Supporting Park County livestock producers facing quarantine, easing financial burdens while promoting best practices.
One of the greatest threats hanging over livestock producers in Park County is having their cattle test positive for Brucellosis. A positive test triggers a quarantine order from the state that can have significant economic impact on the producer’s operation, potentially endangering its viability.
The East Yellowstone Collaborative supports the private working lands that support the migrating wildlife of Greater Yellowstone so when landowners voiced their concerns, we responded. The Collaborative invited a partnership with PERC (Property and Environment Research Center) and a group of volunteer landowners and managers to help create some relief from that threat.
Now in its second year of operation, the East Yellowstone Brucellosis Compensation Fund has paid out to two area ranches under quarantine.
Park County ranch hands roping calves for the branding fire
Brucella abortus is the bacteria that primarily affects cattle, bison, and elk. Brucellosis is spread through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. It can also be spread when infected or exposed animals are introduced to herds that are free of the disease. For livestock producers along the Absaroka Front, co-mingling with infected elk herds during critical times of the year creates the greatest vulnerability.
East Yellowstone Collaborative and PERC (Property and Environment Research Center) teamed up with a group of Absarokas livestock producers to develop a Brucellosis Compensation Fund that will help ease the financial burden of a positive test that results in a quarantine order. Using the methodology of PERC’s work with Paradise Valley, Montana producers, this working group has shaped a fund that speaks to the specific needs and conditions of the Park County producers.
Elk roaming the mountain side | Photo by Austin Waisanen
Capitalized at $130,000, the Fund provides cattle producers whose cattle are quarantined under an order from the Wyoming Livestock Commission with per head per month payments to help cover the costs associated with quarantine cattle in response to a brucellosis outbreak. Preserving a cost-sharing component encourages the continued use of best practices to minimize the likelihood of transmission.
The Fund went live in January of 2025 and has paid out benefits to two Park County ranches under state quarantine. 2026 marks the second year of the trial period, and to-date no additional applications have been made to the fund. To find out more or apply, contact Laura Bell at laura@legacyworksgroup.com.