Wild Earth Society Incorporated

TESTING SOLAR ENERGY SITING GUIDELINES FOR MAMMALS IN HIGH DESERT ECOSYSTEMS THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW USSE DEVELOPMENT INTERACTS WITH WILDLIFE AND TO EXPLORE AND DEVELOP METHODS AND RESOURCES THAT HELP PRACTITIONERS IDENTIFY AND REDUCE CONFLICT. THIS PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON PRONGHORN, WHICH ARE A HIGHLY VISIBLE AND CHARISMATIC UNGULATE SPECIES AND WHOSE GENERAL HABITAT NEEDS LARGELY OVERLAP WITH LOCATIONS MOST SUITED FOR USSE DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER GRASSLAND AND DESERT WILDLIFE SPECIES, SUCH AS PRAIRIE DOGS, BADGERS, BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS, SWIFT AND KIT FOXES, AND BURROWING OWLS. THE FIVE PRIMARY PROJECT OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE:

SECURING CONNECTIVITY FOR JAGUARS IN STRATEGIC REGIONS OF SONORA AND SINALOA

SECURING CONNECTIVITY FOR JAGUARS ALONG EXPANDING HIGHWAYS OF THE SKY ISLANDS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO OBTAIN BASELINE INFORMATION ON LOCAL PRONGHORN POPULATION, INCLUDING HABITAT USE AND RESPONSE TO DISTURBANCES, SPACE-USE, HOME RANGE SIZE, MOVEMENTS WITHIN AND ACROSS JURISDICTIONS (INCLUDING FARMINGTON BLM), AND DOCUMENT RATES AND CAUSES OF MORTALITY THAT AFFECT POPULATION DYNAMICS. THIS PROJECT WILL CONSIST OF TRACKING 30 PRONGHORN DOES USING GPS COLLARS TO MONITOR PRONGHORN MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT USE ON BLM LANDS AS WELL AS INHOLDINGS OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, NM STATE LANDS, AND ADJACENT TRIBAL LANDOWNERS. COLLAR DATA WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO POPULATION TRENDS INCLUDING MORTALITY RATES, FAWN PRODUCTION RATES, AND FAWN SURVIVAL THROUGH THE EARLY MONTHS. THE COLLARS WILL BE USED TO TRACK ANNUAL AND SEASONAL PATTERNS ASSOCIATED WITH VARYING RAINFALL AND FORAGE PRODUCTION OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN-CAUSED CONDITIONS WHICH COULD INFLUENCE MOVEMENTS, HOME RANGE SIZES, RATES OF MORTALITY, AND POPULATION SUSTAINABILITY. THE STUDY WILL OVERLAP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOLAR POWER PLANTS ON BLM LANDS AND ALLOW A DIRECT ASSESSMENT OF HOW THE SOLAR PROJECTS AFFECTED PRONGHORNS. PUBLIC BENEFIT:PRESENTLY, THERE IS LIMITED BASELINE INFORMATION ON THIS RELATIVELY SMALL POPULATION. THE INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL ENABLE STRONGER SCIENCE-BASED DECISIONS RELATED TO GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION EFFORTS TO ENSURE SPECIES SURVIVAL.