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.