Forest Service Approves Helicopter Captures of Bighorn Sheep in Wilderness Areas

Forest Service Approves Helicopter Captures of Bighorn Sheep in Wilderness Areas
Release Date: Jun 15, 2012 Bishop, CA
Contact(s): Nancy Upham

Ed Armenta, Inyo National Forest Supervisor, signed a Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact on June 11, 2012 to authorize the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to land helicopters in wilderness areas for the purpose of capturing the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep.

This decision supports CDFG in its implementation of the 2007 Recovery Plan for Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which identifies specific actions needed to downlist or delist the species. Recovery actions include monitoring of individual bighorn sheep health as well as translocating bighorn sheep. Bighorn sheep need to be captured and handled in order to collect data on their health, affix new or repair old VHF and GPS collars, or translocate selected bighorn sheep to new herd locations. Due to the remote areas in which Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep occur and the rugged terrain they inhabit, a helicopter is needed to carry out the captures.

The decision authorizes CDFG to land a helicopter to conduct monitoring and translocation captures over a ten year period within the Northern, Central, and Southern Recovery Herd Units, parts of which are located in the Ansel Adams, Golden Trout, Hoover, John Muir, Owens River Headwaters, and South Sierra Wildernesses.

It is anticipated that CDFG would begin their capture work in October, 2012.

As described in the Administrative Review section of the Decision Notice, this decision is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215. Appeals must be filed within 45 days from the date the legal notice of decision is published in The Inyo Register, which is expected to be June 16, 2012.

The Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact are available at the Inyo National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200, Bishop, California 93514 or online at http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=35211. For more information about the project or the appeals process, contact Leeann Murphy, Wildlife Biologist, at 760-873-2450 or lbmurphy@fs.fed.us.