Strategies for recovering the federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are now available for public review and comment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced today.
Copies of the draft recovery plan for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep may be obtained by writing to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 2493 Portola Road, Suite B; Ventura, CA 93003, or by calling (805) 644-1766. Public comments must be submitted by September 29, 2003, to the above address or by fax at (805) 644-3958.
"This draft plan is a coordinated effort among the many dedicated partners involved with restoring the bighorn sheep to its historic range," said Diane Noda, field supervisor for the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office. "Years of hard work and planning have resulted in a plan that we believe will recover this magnificent keystone species of the high Sierra."
The bighorn sheep, listed as an endangered species in 1999, is at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. In 1999, only 125 bighorn sheep remained in the Sierra Nevada, living in five separate areas on mountainous, federally-owned land primarily in California
