CDFW Announces Release of Bighorn Sheep Conservation and Management Plan of California
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to present The Conservation and Management Plan for Bighorn Sheep in California.
The plan identifies actions based on the latest science to conserve and manage a species that occupies some of the most extreme landscapes in California – from the highest and snowiest peaks in the Sierra Nevada mountains to the arid and hot Sonoran and Mojave deserts. It updates A Plan for Bighorn Sheep in California published in 1983.
“Bighorn sheep are an inspiring and enduring symbol of California’s rugged wilderness and independent spirit,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “These resilient and resourceful animals have played an important ecological, cultural and historical role in California, yet their populations have faced significant challenges due to disease, habitat fragmentation, loss of connectivity, extreme weather events and other environmental stressors. This updated plan offers a strong foundation to manage and support this iconic species into the future.”
California is home to an estimated population of 5,400 bighorn sheep. These include some 400 Sierra Nevada bighorn, 750 Peninsular bighorn and 4,250 desert bighorn in Southern California outside of the Peninsular Ranges.
Peninsular and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and have separate recovery plans developed in 2000 and 2007, respectively, in collaboration with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. Other non-endangered desert bighorn sheep populations allow for sustainable and coveted hunting opportunities.
“This plan brings together traditional, ecological, and historical knowledge of bighorn sheep across California, but focuses specifically on the conservation and management goals for the non-endangered desert bighorn populations,” said Paige Prentice, CDFW’s Statewide Bighorn Sheep Coordinator.
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