Promoting Sustainability of Desert Bighorn Sheep to Enhance Conservation and Recreation

Project ID: P18AC00971

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2018

Initial Funding: $279,683

Total Funding: $448,183

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: Mojave National Preserve

Principal Investigator: Epps, Clinton

Agreement Technical Representative: Makarick, Lori

Abstract: The purpose of this agreement is to design and carry out a study that will inform current and future management decisions for desert bighorn sheep conservation in the Mojave Desert and across the Western U.S. This project will obtain critical information on the impacts of habitat fragmentation on desert bighorn sheep, as well as the potential for managers to mitigate these impacts to protect the sustainability of these populations and the conservation and recreational value they provide. Investigators from OSU and NPS staff will collaborate to accomplish the following specific objectives:
1. Evaluate the interaction of desert bighorn sheep with manmade barriers.
2. Experimentally establish new connections for desert bighorn sheep across those barriers.