Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), management of Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep is guided by the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Recovery Plan (PDF). Endangered Species Act (CDFW, 2019). Sierra Nevada bighorn occur in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep were important to indigenous peoples, as numerous rock-art depictions of the legendary animals are found throughout the Owens Valley. Additionally, CDFW is involved in the conservation and recovery of desert bighorn sheep in the Peninsular Ranges, another population listed under the Endangered Species Act. In 2012 Ink Dwell studio launched the first Migrating Mural, focused on the California’s endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. At … The species began its decline back in the mid-1800s, and by 1995 the total population numbered few more than 100 individuals. The endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is one of the most iconic species of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. They are considered an Endangered Species by the US government, with a population of only roughly 400 individuals (up from only 100 in … State and federal officials declared them endangered in 1999. They were uplisted to endangered in 1999 by the California Fish and Wildlife Commission. BRADEN LOVEDAY Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Scientific Name: Ovis canadensis sierrae Via California Department of Fish and Wildlife Via California Department of Fish and Wildlife Description The Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep has a range of coloration, ranging from dark brown to almost white (CDFW, 2019). Along with over hunting, their numbers were reduced by a degradation of their habitat through development such as road-building and recreational activities. Legendary for their ability to climb high, steep, rocky mountain areas, various bighorn subspecies and a distinct population (i.e., Peninsular) occur in the western United States. To avoid deep snow and to find forage during winter, the sheep either occupy high elevation windswept ridges or migrate to lower elevation sagebrush-steppe habitats. The fervor and concern expressed by California citizens over the desperate plight of the Sierra Nevada bighorns reaped significant results: U.S. The Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Foundation and the Wild Sheep Foundation funded the translocation into Sequoia National Park. To see excellent pictures of the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep as well as other members of the species, check out the wildlife photography of Steve Yeager, featured on this blog. Habitat throughout the historic range of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep remains essentially intact; the … The different coloration is dependent on the season and the… Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (O. c. sierrae) – formerly California bighorn sheep, a genetically distinct subspecies that only occurs in the Sierra Nevada … That milestone moment and other donor-supported efforts have helped these rare, remarkable mammals start on a path toward removal from the endangered species list. Vegetation succession and fire suppression have reduced habitat suitability for bighorn sheep throughout the western United States. This report presents a review of the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program from 1999, when Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep were placed on the federal endangered species list, to June 30, 2011. The subspecies called Sierra Nevada Bighorn is endangered in California and have been placed on the list of … U.S.FWS Species profile about species listing status, federal register publications, recovery, critical habitat, conservation planning, petitions, and life history. The final recovery plan claims that habitat restoration or enhancement may play a critical role in delisting. Subsequently, population surveys have documented a declining trend. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (O. c. canadensis) – occupying the U.S. and Canadian Rocky Mountains, and the Northwestern United States. Finally, you may have seen murals of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep along Highway 395. Over the past century and a half, the herds declined drastically, allowing the Sierra bighorn sheep to be placed on the U.S. endangered … Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep were originally listed as threatened in 1974 by the California Endangered Species Act.