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Full Curl
The exploitation of the West pushed wild sheep into remnant ranges and decimated their numbers. But values are changing. For a growing number of people, just knowing that healthy herds of wild sheep are still a part of our natural heritage adds to the quality of their lives. Indeed, the sight of wild sheep is heart-pounding excitement, and providing memories for a lifetime and stories to tell grandchildren. Full Curl is your invitation to be a partner in management of wild sheep on your national forests.
2013 Sheep Show in Reno
Dates: January 30 - February 2, 2013
Facility: Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, NV
Registration - Online
Registration - PDF
This is the Wild Sheep Foundation convention. There are no agency specific meetings, as is often found at other partner meetings (e.g., RMEF, TWTF, etc.). The Wild Sheep Foundation does one major fundraiser a year and this is it. There will be a WAFWA bighorn sheep working group meeting and a wildlife professionals meeting in conjunction with this event. Forest Service/Full Curl will have a booth again this year. Come by our booth and find about Wild Sheep and Goats on your national forests.
Witness It to Believe It: WSH Fundraiser auction - opportunities to harvest wildlife going from $10,000-$410,000 with no guarantee of success!
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Find-A-Photo: Bighorn Sheep by Bruce Thompson, BLM
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Wild Sheep In the News
Award Winning Program
Elk Country Award: Individual Achievement - Melanie Woolever, R2, Wildlife Program Leader won the Elk Country Individual Achievement Award from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It was presented at the 2009 Elk Camp - Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation annual conference.
Award Information
Find-A-Photo: Devil's Canyon
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Publications:
Recommendations for Domestic Sheep and Goat Management in Wild Sheep Habitat;
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) - Wild Sheep Working Group
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GTR Publication Removed Due to Court Order
A Review of Disease-related Conflicts Between Domestic Sheep and Goats and Bighorn Sheep
By Timothy J. Schommer and
Melanie M.Woolever, 2008
RMRS-GTR-209
RMRS Document Link
On July 1, 2009, the United States District Court for the District of Idaho issued a decision and order in [Idaho Wool Growers Assoc. v. Schafer] which found that the Risk Assessment Disease Transmission Committee and the Payette Principles Committee were advisory committees subject to the procedural requirements of FACA. These Committees were established to review information regarding disease transmission between domestic and bighorn sheep for a Forest Planning effort. The order states that "the Committees' finding and/or conclusions are not to be relied upon by the Forest Service with respect to any future agency decisions."
A Review of Disease Related Conflicts Between Domestic Sheep and Goats and Bighorn Sheep (RMRS-GTR-209) was prepared to provide a summary of the published scientific literature concerning the issue of disease transmission between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep an goats. Since RMRS-GTR-209 incorporates the principles developed by the Payette Principles Committee, it would not be appropriate for th Forest Service to use this publication in future agency decisions or policy development in light of the July 1, 2009, decision. Given these circumstances, the agency has retracted RMRS-GTR-209. The court order does not preclude the underlying scientific literature reviewed by the Payette Principles Committee nor the scientific literature referenced in this GTR.
Forest Service Letter - Compliance with July 1, 2009, Adverse Ruling in Idaho Wool Growers Assoc. v. Schafer, by United States District Court for the District of Idaho PDF 26.5 KB
Court Order PDF 79.3 KB
FACA = Federal Advisory Committee Act
Additional Publications
Maps of Domestic Sheep and Bighorn Sheep
Thirteen downloadable state maps are posted on the following Forest Service FTP site. The maps are updated periodically.
Note: This FTP site is accessible outside the Forest Service. Occasionally the public can't access Forest Service public FTP sites. If you are outside the Forest Service Intranet, be sure your ftp client is NOT set to Passive ftp. If using an IE browser as ftp client, then UNCHECK the following checkbox: Tools->Internet Options->Advanced->Browsing->Use Passive FTP for compatibility. If that doesn't work, try again later; access isn't always consistent. Still not able to access? Contact Melanie Woolever at 303-275-5007.
ftp://ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/r2/bhs_state_pdfs
Research and Inventory
Research and inventory must precede management to avoid costly mistakes. Research - studying the nature of sheep - determines their needs and why they are present in some areas and absent from others.
Inventories of occupied and vacant habitats help establish priorities for range restoration or restocking only. Keeping track of sheep with the aid of collars and radio transmitters helps biologists learn of their movements and home range needs.
Water
Sheep are absent from even the best forage and cover when
water is not available. Developing springs and installing
watering devices such as catch dams, holding tanks and "guzzlers"
are the kind of projects that volunteer partners make possible.
Goals of Full Curl
- Restore the quality and quantity of wild sheep
habitat to generate an increase of 150 percent in population
and 300 percent in recent recreational opportunities.
- Foster partnership, cooperation and understanding
among government bodies, private organizations, landowners
and the general public in support of wild sheep conservation.
- Provide opportunities to participate in habitat
restoration through volunteer efforts and financial contributions.
- Implement US. Forest Service plans to achieve
wild sheep management objectives.
Partnerships
Other partners in this program are the State wildlife agencies
of AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NM, NV, OR, SD, WA, and WY.
- How you can be a Partner too!
- Join the Wild Sheep Foundation or any of their local chapers and affiliates.
- Look for a future posting, at this site,
on new and on going field work needing volunteers.
- Start watching sheep in the wild! Falcon
Press produces a series of state wildlife watching guides. Check out the one for your state.
You can also find locations for viewing wildlife, plants and fish through our NatureWatch 'Viewing Sites' website at "inature".
- Sheep Biology
- References & Publications
- A Review of Disease-related Conflicts Between Domestic Sheep and Goats and Bighorn Sheep; Schommer, Timothy J.; Woolever, Melanie M. 2008; RMRS-GTR-209
RMRS Download pdf file 425 KB [See comments at top of page. RMRS no longer makes this GTR available even though the court order does not preclude the underlying scientific literature reviewed by the Payette Principles Committee nor the scientific literature referenced in this GTR.]
Letter to Partners announcing the RMRS-GTR-209
(txt 1.97 KB) (pdf 23.7 KB)
Research between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep and goats can lead to respiratory disease and fatal pneumonia in bighorn sheep. We reviewed experimental methods and evidence regarding respiratory disease in bighorn sheep relative to domestic sheep and goats based upon the contact hypothesis and categorized by experimental approach. Although efforts to identify organisms causing pneumonia in bighorn sheep following contact with domestic sheep have identified multiple bacteria species, the complete range of mechanisms/causal agents leading to epizootic disease events are not completely understood. However, based upon the effect of disease transmission, spatial and/or temporal separation between domestic sheep and goats and bighorn sheep is prudent when the management objective is to maintain bighorn sheep populations.
- A Process for Finding Management Solutions
to the Incompatibility Between Domestic and Bighorn Sheep;
Tom Schommer and Melanie Woolever; (white paper) August
2001;742 KB pdf
Download
pdf file
- Transmital Letter of the final Bighorn/Domestic
Sheep document;19 KB pdf
Download
pdf file
- Selenium/pH/Precipitation/Sheep Lamp Survival;
21.4 KB pdf
Download
pdf file
Learn More
You can find out more about Wild Sheep by contacting one
of these organizations:
Full Curl Coordinator for the Forest Service
Melanie
Woolever
USDA Forest Service
Renewable Resources Staff
740 Simms
Golden CO 80401
Phone: 303-275-5007
Fax: 303-275-5075
Email: mwoolever@fs.fed.us
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09.24.12
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