JoseCuervo
New member
Recent wildlife surveys show that populations of pronghorn antelope, California bighorn sheep and sage grouse are all on the rise at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Lake County.
"Sage grouse numbers are way up, pronghorn numbers are up, and that's important because they're a couple of the indicator species we manage for," Hart Mountain wildlife manager Mike Nunn said. "The whole habitat at Hart Mountain is better."
This year marks the 10th anniversary of a management plan that bans livestock grazing from the refuge for 15 years.
The plan reversed a decades-long policy that permitted thousands of cattle to graze during the summer months.
A determination on whether or not to again allow grazing will be made in 2009 or whenever the plan is updated.
Nunn thinks that the removal of livestock is a major contributor to the increased wildlife populations. He also said that the removal of fences that hinder pronghorn movement, a stepped-up fire management program, the ending of a drought and other factors have contributed to increased wildlife numbers.
When the management plan was implemented, the refuge and much of southeastern Oregon was mired in a drought, which ended after the plan was implemented.
Nunn said he does not expect that large-scale livestock grazing will again be permitted at Hart Mountain.
"I'm sure that's going to be the main topic of discussion in the next planning session," Nunn said. "Even at Hart Mountain there are meadows that would be better if grazed, but it's so small-scale economically I can't see anybody doing that."
Biologists at the refuge are also trying to improve sage grouse habitat, he said.
A bighorn sheep census at the refuge last summer resulted in a population estimate of 353. The numbers are high enough that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to collect and relocate 20 bighorns to other areas in early December.
"Sage grouse numbers are way up, pronghorn numbers are up, and that's important because they're a couple of the indicator species we manage for," Hart Mountain wildlife manager Mike Nunn said. "The whole habitat at Hart Mountain is better."
This year marks the 10th anniversary of a management plan that bans livestock grazing from the refuge for 15 years.
The plan reversed a decades-long policy that permitted thousands of cattle to graze during the summer months.
A determination on whether or not to again allow grazing will be made in 2009 or whenever the plan is updated.
Nunn thinks that the removal of livestock is a major contributor to the increased wildlife populations. He also said that the removal of fences that hinder pronghorn movement, a stepped-up fire management program, the ending of a drought and other factors have contributed to increased wildlife numbers.
When the management plan was implemented, the refuge and much of southeastern Oregon was mired in a drought, which ended after the plan was implemented.
Nunn said he does not expect that large-scale livestock grazing will again be permitted at Hart Mountain.
"I'm sure that's going to be the main topic of discussion in the next planning session," Nunn said. "Even at Hart Mountain there are meadows that would be better if grazed, but it's so small-scale economically I can't see anybody doing that."
Biologists at the refuge are also trying to improve sage grouse habitat, he said.
A bighorn sheep census at the refuge last summer resulted in a population estimate of 353. The numbers are high enough that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to collect and relocate 20 bighorns to other areas in early December.
