Current situation regarding the Kofa desert
bighorn sheep population |
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The
Arizona Game and Fish Department
hosted an educational seminar
on mountain lions, desert
bighorn sheep and management
issues on Sept. 23, 2009.
Nearly 200 people attend either
in person or via webcast.
This event is available for
ondemand viewing by clicking
the image to the left or the
link below. Additionally,
the presentation is also available
for viewing.
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2009
survey flights scheduled for fall,
results anticipated in November.
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AZGFD
reduces bighorn sheep tags by
33 percent on Kofa National Wildlife
Refuge
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2008
bighorn sheep survey estimates
= 436 animals
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Historical
population averages = 732 animals
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USFWS
Draft EA 60-day public comment
period, ended Oct. 2.
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AZGFD
lethally-removes mountain lion
to assist struggling bighorn sheep
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Photo Credit = Todd Newport
Welcome to the Arizona
Game and Fish Department’s Kofa National
Wildlife Refuge wildlife management Web site. The
primary purpose of this Web site is to provide
information about the Department’s efforts
(in conjunction with its U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service partner) to restore and sustain the desert
bighorn sheep herd residing in the Kofa Mountains
Complex.
The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
is the critical center of the Kofa Mountains Complex
bighorn population and represents both a unique
wildlife resource and a significant long-term
wildlife management challenge to which the Department
is committed for the long haul.
Wildlife are the birthright and property
of all of Arizona’s citizens. It is Arizona
Game and Fish Department’s mandate and responsibility
to actively manage that resource so as to ensure
future generations of Arizonans are able to enjoy
the full richness of the natural heritage with
which this state has been blessed.
Most of what you find here represents
the results of the coordinated efforts of the
Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
but the site also reflects the fact that the Department’s
responsibilities, and the complex herd dynamics
of the bighorn population, extend far beyond the
boundaries of the refuge.
It is our hope that those visiting
this site will find it an informative source of
current information and a useful repository of
reference materials specific to the Kofa. Equally,
it is our hope that you will help us populate
the site with photos, questions, and comments.
All Web sites are a work in progress, and this one
is no exception. It will become more useful the
more it is used and the more its users take the
time to critique and suggest.
We are the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
We are unabashed advocates for wildlife, the sportsmen
and women who cherish it, and those who simply
take pleasure in its appreciation. We see these
as mutually interdependent values and, while the
various wildlife interest groups and individuals
present differing perspectives, we are committed
to maintaining healthy wildlife populations and
building bridges between these values.
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