81-6-101. Petition for county livestock protective committee -- members -- term. (1) The board of county commissioners must, upon receipt of a petition or petitions to do so, set up a county livestock protective committee of three members. The petition or petitions must be signed by at least 51% of the owners of cattle in the county, and such petitioners must own at least 55% of the cattle in the county.
     (2) Members appointed to serve on such committee shall be residents of the county engaged in the business of raising cattle. If there be in the county any organization of cattle growers, the county commissioners shall give preference to names submitted by any such group for appointment to such committee. The term for which said committee members shall be appointed shall be 2 years with two members of the first committee named to serve for 2 years, one member to serve for 1 year. Members of such committee shall receive no remuneration or reimbursement for expenses for serving on said committee.
     (3) By "organization of cattle growers", as used in this section, is meant any group or organization holding regular meetings at least annually, having officers, and composed predominantly of cattle growers resident in the county, with its membership open to cattle growers willing to abide by its governing rules or bylaws, and its general purpose being the promotion of the interests of its members in matters pertaining to the cattle or livestock industry.
     (4) If owners of sheep in the county desire to come under the provisions of this part in cooperation with owners of cattle, they shall file a like petition to that set out herein for owners of cattle, and in such case at least one member of said livestock protective committee shall be a sheep grower and where the word "cattle" appears in this part, it shall be deemed to comprehend also the word "sheep".
     (5) Owners of sheep alone may form a county livestock protective committee, in which case the word "cattle" as in this part contained shall be considered as if it were the word "sheep"; and provided further that the levy as provided in 81-6-104 hereof shall, in the case of sheep, not exceed 5 cents per head.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 168, L. 1953; R.C.M. 1947, 46-2701; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 660, L. 1987.