Letter From Founding Members.

WHYC Members Position Statement.

Mar 11, 2019

Dear North American Yak Herders and Yak Lovers,

We write to you today with the intention of affirming our commitment to the preservation of yak pedigree and protection of genetic integrity of the North American yak herd..

Promote.

As founding members we would like to introduce you to the World Heritage Yak Conservancy (WHYC). This is a collaboration of yak breeders, international researchers, and conservationists. We are creating a group of yak breeders and conservationists with a strong commitment to preserving the exceptional pedigree of the North American Heritage Yak. With the help of our North American Heritage Yak Registry (NAHYR) we’ll protect the genetic integrity of our endangered North American yak herd. This intent is reflected by the strong WHYC Mission Statement, Code of Ethics, and By-Laws.

Preserve.

WHYC represents a Critically Endangered breed. However, we are an exceptional yak herd with an exceptional genome - this is a testament to the careful breeding practices of our founding members and the original yak herders. We are committed to protecting this genetic integrity of this exceptionally rare and endangered animal. We also accept the responsibility of continuing to maintain the rigorous and successful “Best Practices” for breeding, to learn and teach them to new WHYC members, and defend this commitment through our association's Code of Ethics, as well as it's Missions Statement and By-laws.

Our Team members’ early pioneering of modern genetics research is another important way we continue to preserve pedigree and protect genetic integrity. WHYC has the most comprehensive cutting-edge genetic testing or state-of-the-art research. Every piece of the testing ability currently available at GeneSeek for Tibetan yak was created and developed by members of our Team - WHYC has continued to improve these resources. No other association has these capabilities. We are the hands down forerunners in yak science and genetic testing world-wide.

Protect.

We value the current, state-of-the-art Neogen SNP testing (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) which allows us to be on the cutting edge of genetics research. More importantly, this SNP testing affords WHYC many opportunities to reinforce and support our commitment to preservation of pedigree and protection of genetic integrity for our yak. You benefit by this effort by increasing the value of your yak with WHYC Heritage registration. WHYC can now consistently and effectively identify hybrids and exclude these animals from registration. We can also consistently and effectively identify a growing munger of diseases and cattle mutations and provide better herd management (as in BVD reporting). In the near future, we will be able to report an improved ability to identify and quantify inbreeding in our yak NAHYR herd, by reliability reporting the Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI). In the future, we also hope to see WHYC BOD continue to support researchers as they develop more comprehensive and reliable genetic tools. This is a unique and rare commitment involving a group of yak genomic specialists with the interest and the skills necessary to achieve these goals.

It is an important time for yak in North America! Your support now can change the future for yak herders, as well as yak in North America! With your help we can save this Endangered breed.

Join us to help protect the Critically Endangered North American Heritage Yak breed - and Love Yak with us!

Sincerely,

Nicole Geijer Porter, Prairie Sky Ranch, WHYC Chairman, IYAK BOD member 2020, Genome Committee Chair 2018 - present..

Larry G Richards, Living Diamonds Tibetan Yak Ranch, WHYC and NAHYR Vice-Chair, IYAK Founding member, Vice-president 2019, RegComm Chair 2020, past Genome Chair,

Jandy Sprouse, WHYC Advisory Board, WHYC Founding member, IYAK President emeritus, IYAK Lifetime Member

Mark Priest, A Yak or 2, WHYC Advisory Board and Marketing Committee Chair, IYAK BOD 2020, IYAK Lifetime Member, WHYC BODSteve Hill, Sunny Hill Ranch, WHYC Advisory Board, IYAK BOD 2020

Steve Hill, Sunny Hill Ranch, WHYC Advisory Board, IYAK BOD 2020

Daniel Salvato, Prairie Sky Sanctuary and Prairie Sky Ranch, WHYC Membership Committee Chair, IYAK Membership Committee Chair 2021, WHYC Membership Committee Chair 2021

Bethany Priest, A Yak or 2, WHYC Membership Vice-Chair, IYAK Lifetime Member

Lynette Priest, A Yak or 2, WHYC Founding Member, IYAK Lifetime Member.

Brad Sprouse, Former owner of Great Lakes Ranch, WHYC Founding Member, IYAK Lifetime Member

Diane Latona (in memoriam), WHYC Members Position Statement supporter, lifetime IYAK member, and former IYAK BOD.