The U.S. Department of Labor’s H-2A Herder final rule followed many of the sheep industry’s recommendations concerning wages and open range. American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick says the original plan would have tripled wages required to be paid herders. He says the final plan is much more reasonable.

Orwick talks about how the original higher wage proposal would have impacted a South Dakota sheep operation.

He says the industry will have some time to prepare for the final labor department rules as they will be phased in.

Orwick says the American Sheep Industry provided close to 500 comments which helped craft the final rule.