Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep

Current populations are estimated at 300 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. To remain healthy and viable, bighorn sheep need productive preferred forage, adequate thermal and security cover and limited disturbance and impediments on key ranges (e.g., winter/lambing range, critical winter range, and migration corridors).

The focus of management is on migration corridors, lambing grounds and winter range. Management for mule deer winter range provides adequate bighorn habitat in forested areas.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep are distributed across the Sub Region.

General issues across the Sub Region will be addressed below, followed by management plans specific to individual populations.

Please note the Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep map is not yet available

Issues:

  • Reduction in the quality, quantity and distribution of essential habitat including productive preferred forage, separate summer and winter habitats, and thermal and security cover.
  • Increased mortality caused by disease, increased predation, access- and fire-related displacement and disruption from key ranges, and impediments to movement between habitats and through migration corridors.
  • Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep may be breeding with the California Big Horn Sheep population near Spence’s Bridge

Goals:

  • Viable and healthy populations of bighorn sheep, distinct from California Big Horn Sheep

 

Objectives Management Direction/Strategies Measures of Success/Targets Intent
1. Maintain or enhance forage, thermal and security forest cover within bighorn sheep winter/lambing range areas shown on the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep map 1.1 Designate the winter/lambing range areas shown on the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep map as “ungulate winter range” under the Forest and Range    
1.2 Incorporate First Nations’ knowledge of bighorn sheep winter range, lambing areas and migration corridors into habitat information considered during map amendments
2. Improve forage opportunities for sheep throughout their presently identified winter/lambing ranges (see Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep map) and those winter ranges identified through future inventories 2.1 Manage livestock competition through directed management strategies in range use plans and identify poor condition, native bunchgrass range as areas to be improved    
2.2 Develop and implement prescribed burn plans to remove competitive overstory vegetation, expose seeds to mineral soil and enhance understory development of beneficial shrubs (i.e. Saskatoon and willow species) in forested sites within sheep winter/lambing ranges
2.3 Consider available First Nations’ knowledge of traditional use and prescribed burning when developing burn plans
2.4 Manage grasslands within permanent range to ensure a minimum 85% of the plant communities are in late seral stage or in potential natural communities
3. Limit disturbance or displacement from road access and density on bighorn sheep populations within their winter/lambing range and known and possible migration corridors (See Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep map) 3.1 Avoid construction of new roads within mapped winter/lambing range, particularly on the benches along the Fraser River, and in the French Bar Creek, the upper Yalakom River and upper Noaxe Creek areas Adequate snow interception and security cover within winter range  
3.2 If new roads cannot be located away from mapped winter/lambing range, restrict road construction during lambing periods (April 15 – June 30). Such roads should be put to bed as soon as possible after industrial use
3.3 Minimize road development that bisects mapped known and possible migration corridors
3.4 Schedule hauling and other concentrated industrial uses on roads bisecting mapped migration corridors outside peak migration periods (spring migration: May 20 – June 20: fall migration: August 31 – November 15)
3.5 Maintain visual screening adjacent to roads within migration corridors Visual screening provides important cover from predators and hunters for sheep
3.6 Implement appropriate deactivation, rehabilitation, regulated closures and graduated access measures for new road developments within mapped known and possible sheep migration corridors and winter/lambing ranges
4. Minimize opportunities for the transmission of disease between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep 4.1 Do not issue Crown grazing tenures for domestic sheep grazing or domestic sheep grazing permits for silviculture purposes within 16 km of bighorn sheep habitat   Objective is aimed at protecting against transmission of disease to wild sheep, primarily lung worm. Domestic sheep owners typically have health regimes in place for management of domestic sheep health
5. Allow unimpeded movement of sheep through mapped winter/lambing ranges and known sheep migration corridors (See Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep map) 5.1 Do not permit replacement or new fencing across known sheep migration corridors or, if unavoidable, modify fences or fence to standards below:
Replacement or new livestock fencing should not exceed 42 inches (1.07m) in height and should be a minimum of 18 inches above the ground Use top rails on fences wherever sheep traffic is high (e.g., where trails cross fences) Use 39” fence (1.0m) on drift fence where cattle pressure is low
   
6. Avoid alienation of Crown land for purposes that may disrupt bighorn sheep movement within mapped migration corridors or alienation of Crown land that may reduce mapped (known) critical winter range and known lambing range (see Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep map) 6.1 Educate private landowners to consider the need for sheep movement in their applications for Crown land   Alienation of Crown land within mapped bighorn sheep migration corridors is minimized
6.2 Where alienation cannot be avoided, identify and implement ways to minimize impacts to bighorn sheep migration or critical winter ranges
7. Continue to gather knowledge and information of sheep habitat, health and populations, including First Nations knowledge 7.1 Continue inventory work to determine population numbers and habitat areas, as well as the key limiting factors on bighorn sheep populations (e.g., habitat, migration corridors, poaching, predation, etc.)   Improved information about bighorn sheep habitat, migration corridors and populations
7.2 Consider inventory studies in adjacent areas that involve herds that migrate into this plan area - (e.g., ‘Churn Creek Bighorn Sheep Study’ Williams Lake Forest District)
7.3 Explore opportunities to involve First Nations in bighorn sheep studies and assessments