Habitat Management

Most lands held in public trust are managed by federal, state, provincial, and territorial entities, and the unique values and priorities reflected within these authorities often lead to differences in actions that may not benefit mountain sheep (bighorn sheep [ Ovis canadensis ], thinhorn sheep [ O vis dalli ]). We address how managers should work cooperatively to protect important habitat that is currently in good condition; to improve habitats that are not in good condition but were historically so; and to address other factors limiting the potential for mountain sheep populations to thrive. There are many influences to habitats discussed herein and in other chapters, and elsewhere in the literature, that advise that the expanded linear corridors (e.g., roadway and electric distribution networks), unregulated populations of feral equids, changes in habitat composition (i.e., expanded woody and invasive plant communities), and limited surface water availability are primary threats to the sustainable management of resilient mountain sheep populations. We counsel new resource managers to consider historical and future ecological effects over long periods. Following the Euro-American settlement of North America, ecological changes had been relentless, and understanding the history of these changes is an important component of managing mountain sheep and their habitat, now and into the future.