As endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn are slowly rebounding from the brink of extinction in the high country in Yosemite Park and further north and east, they are confronted with increased threats. Now, herds of domestic sheep are slated to graze alongside the bighorn in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and on Bureau of Land Management lands -- even though a recent scientific assessment shows an extremely high risk of disease transmission from the domestic sheep to the bighorn.

Because domestic sheep can spread disease to the endangered bighorn, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management should not permit domestic sheep grazing near bighorn habitat. The grazing allotments that pose the greatest immediate risk are: the Tamarack, Cameron Canyon, and Rickey (south) allotments on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; and the Green Creek and Dog Creek allotments on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. These five high-risk allotments are found in the northern part of the bighorn's range. A disease outbreak in this area could wipe out the bighorn herd that also spends part of the year in Yosemite National Park.

Domestic sheep grazing in bighorn habitat could do terrible damage to the species' chance for survival and recovery. Please use the form below to send a letter to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management asking that they not permit domestic sheep grazing near bighorn habitat.