Conservation Projects

Carmen Island Water Project

Carmen Island is located in the Sea of Cortez in Baja California and has no predators. As a result, the desert bighorn herd is doing extremely well and is used to reintroduce bighorns to the main Baja peninsula. There was only one source of fresh water on the island until RMBS and others donated funds to install a solar pump and distribution system for fresh water to other parts of the island. RMBS donated $6,000 toward this project.

GIS Mapping

$1,000 was donated to a GIS mapping project to gather information on all bighorn sheep transplants in the western United States. This information will be transferred to origin and delivery maps, which will help tremendously in documenting the history of all bighorn herds in the West.

Limestone Ridge Habitat Improvement

$10,000 was awarded to the United States Forest Service to assist with a 140-acre burn in Chaffee County on Trout Creek Pass. This project will eventually remove 300 acres of pinion/juniper to open up the slope to grasses and other beneficial plants, greatly improving the big game habitat.

New Mexico Desert Bighorns

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has an aggressive predator control program for desert bighorn sheep herds. The RMBS has committed $2,500 to the Department's mountain lion removal program for the second consecutive year.

Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area

$10,268 was transferred to the Colorado Division of Wildlife to help with habitat improvement on this wildlife area located between I-25 and the East Spanish Peak near Walsenburg. Improvement will include hydro-axing decadent conifer and shrub to improve deer and elk habitat.

Education & Research

Washington State University Bighorn Sheep Research

The RMBS donated $5,000 to continuing research studies at Washington State University under the leadership of Dr. S Srikumaran. This year’s donation goes toward a study to assess the transmission of passive immunity from bighorn sheep ewes to lambs. This is the second year the RMBS has contributed to WSU bighorn sheep studies.

Becoming An Outdoors Woman

A $910 scholarship was given to this program to allow an additional student to attend.

Scholarship Program

A $1,000 scholarship was provided to a Utah State student enrolled in an Environmental, Forestry or Biology program.

Hunter Orientation

$875 was donated to the Sheep and Goat Hunter Orientation held in July 2009.

Youth Poster Contest

Prizes totaling $1,125 were awarded to winners of the annual youth poster contest.

Auction & Raffle Funds

The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society transfers 75 percent of the sheep and goat raffle and auction revenues to the Colorado Division of Wildlife. These funds, combined with other sources, are allocated to various projects on an annual basis with input from the RMBS, USFS and BLM regarding which projects should be funded. In 2009 $389,985 was allocated from the CDOW raffle and auction account for various sheep projects and research throughout Colorado.