[ed: This was scanned from a printed report. Please accept my apologies for any typos or formatting errors - they are not the fault of the author.]

Public Liaison Report: August, 2000

The largest thing going on locally is still the ABDSP (Anza Borrego Desert State Park) plan. Several of our people have submitted comment letters and/or have gone to the General Plan meetings. It is not to late to let the park know what you think is important. Several of us feel that the management will try to further limit the use of the park. Some feel that they will use the bighorn sheep as a mail reason. Member Candace Ricks (who happens to now live in Minnesota) has read the Draft Recovery Plan for the Bighorn Sheep. She makes some very interesting and valid comments in an e-mail to Kathleen, listed below. Following that is an article on wild horses in Coyote Canyon (ABDSP).

Comments on the Draft Recovery Plan for the Bighorn Sheep, July 3, 2000,

I just finished reviewing the Draft Recovery Plan for the Bighorn Sheep. I agree with Steve Cowen that strong measures need to be taken to rebut this document and block its acceptance. I agree with his assessment that the Draft Report is very biased in its speculations and determinations. Please feel free to share the following thoughts and comments with others at your discretion. I will also send you a copy of my comment letter to Mr. Sorenson when it is completed.

First and foremost, it would appear from the information contained in the document that the conception rates are sufficient to support population regeneration. Lamb survival rates are overall good other than one specific ewe group in the Northern Santa Rosa Mountains. I find it most interesting that statistical data in the report indicates that the ewe groups in the most uninhabited wilderness areas seem to be the most stressed and the ewe group in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, although small, appears to be the most stable even though they appear to have the most opportunity for human interaction.

This document clearly points out that statistical data regarding populations is subject to question with the apparent sharp decline in numbers since the 1970's in doubt. There appears to be no doubt that some habitat areas have been abandoned by ewe groups, however, the reasons for these are not clear. They are subject to pure speculation on the part of biased observers. Throughout the document vague terms such as, may have contributed, suggested that, likely contributed, are used. There is discussion of impacts due to changes in maternal behavior, social behavior, predator avoidance behavior, foraging behavior and range use patterns that stem from animals habitually feeding on irrigated vegetation. Why are these changes inherently bad? Might they be showing an adaptation to a changing environment? The reality is that, try as we might, we can not turn back the clock and restore some "Edenic garden" that never existed.

A review of mortality statistics shows lion predation to be the most significant cause by a huge margin. The report also indicates that the apparent increase in mortality due to lion predation is at least partially due to increased monitoring with radio collars.

The report defines the range of the bighorn sheep as extending into Northern Mexico but does not report the existence of any animals in that part of the range. I, for one, am curious about whether there is a significant population in this area.

The issue of the impact that feral horse and burros have on the bighorn sheep populations hinge upon dietary overlap and competition for water. It would be wise to question and research range patterns and dietary preferences for each species. My instinct says that although they may share water sources, they do not graze in the same areas. I have also requested information from the BLM regarding herd management areas for horse and burros in the Mojave Desert and Anza Borrego State Park areas specifically.

Disease issues are I believe more related to the incidence of deer, cattle and domesticated sheep in the bighorn sheep range than horses and burros. While I would not consider it wise to reintroduce burros to this area, I certainly do not find any reasonable scientific basis for removal of the horse herd. As with the mountain lion predation issues there are simply no studies available to warrant choosing one species over another in this
area. The idea of individual species management has proven unworkable at best. The Sweetwater Marsh National Refuge has had to deal with peregrine falcons preying on California least terns for years. It has apparently become less of an issue now that the peregrines are no longer endangered.

Although a major concern is habitat loss or modification and human related disturbance, the report contradicts itself when it discusses the inability of the bighorn sheep to adapt to human intrusion on trails or at waterholes and then discusses the problems with bighorn sheep wandering through the streets of Palm Springs. It also suggests that roads are a major impediment to bighorn sheep movement and then suggests that Interstate 8 be modified to provide sheep crossings. I find this to be naïve and disingenuous to say the least. We are being asked on the one hand to protect and preserve habitat for an animal that cannot adapt to exposure to human development and on the other hand to create structures for them to use to cross an Interstate Highway. I, for one, fail to see the reasonableness of this.

I am most alarmed by the introduction of the idea that private property inholdings are such a threat that steps may need to be taken to obtain these lands from unwilling sellers. I also question and will research the language of the legislation that established Anza Borrego Desert State Park. I have a great deal of concern about massive restriction of public access to lands that were expressly set aside for parks and recreation.

Candace

Future uncertain for wild horses of Coyote Canyon
By Leslie Ballah, From The July 6th Borrego Sun (reprinted with permission)

Like an untamed mustang, the subject of Anza Borrego Desert State Park's (ABDSP) wild horses keeps rearing up. Should the feral animals remain in Coyote Canyon or are they damaging the environment and need to be removed? The volatile subject is guaranteed to excite any crowd that addresses it.

However, the state has not made an official decision on the future of the horses, according to Mark Jorgensen, state park resource ecologist. "Right now we are in a phase of conducting studies to measure the impact feral horses are having on the environment and endangered species," Jorgensen said.

Accusations and concerns about the horses were voiced at ABDSP general plan meetings April 27 in Borrego and June 20 in San Diego. Back Country Horseman Mike Stephenson of Borrego said that the horses are a valuable asset to the canyon.

"They are a part of the heritage and history of the canyon. They were introduced a long time ago," Stephenson said. "I have ridden Coyote Canyon many times and it's pretty exciting to see wild horses. I think we're very privileged to have them. I think the state park should consider them a resource and protect them as a resource instead of trying to get rid of them," Stephenson said. "I think they have a place in Coyote Canyon." He suggested that any funds allocated to remove the horses should be used to protect them instead.

Proponents of leaving the horses in the canyon claim ABDSP already has made a decision to remove the animals, but is not telling the public. One member of a Backcountry Horseman unit said that the public is more informed about the horses than the park.

"We have to do the studies to open the windows to us and do everything we can to protect (the park)," Jorgensen reported. "We're doing a five-year vegetation monitoring. We measure and identify by species and measure open ground, all trees and shrubs and things like that." Results of the vegetation monitoring, as well as monitoring tracks and scat, will help determine how much damage is being done be the horses and how long recovery takes.

"We've contracted with USGS (United States Geological Service) biologists who are conducting amphibian surveys from Mt. Jacinto to Mexico. They are monitoring at Upper, Middle and Lower Willows and will give us an assessment of what the horse impact is to the aquatic life," he continued. "Amphibians are so delicate that their condition provides a good indication of environmental changes." Biologists are also checking for fecal coliform and other bacteria and organisms in the water.

Jorgensen said, "We're looking at the feral horses' impact on the peninsular bighorn. Cattle and sheep are bovines, but horses are equines and not related to sheep. Disease is not a concern. It is our concern what effect large herbivores are having on the area. And that includes burros, cattle, domestic sheep, mules goats and horses."

"Last July in Coyote Canyon, during the bighorn count, the counters saw 16 different horses using upper and middle willows, and some reported that horse were there all day. They are definitely in the water."

Jorgensen saw trampled and mowed-down grass and bushes completely stripped of the their leaves. He attributed the damage to the feral horses. The horses used to remain near Upper Willow but lately have been going as far downstream as Lower Willows, about eight miles. "We counted 23 (horses) in Lower Willows and at least 11 in Upper Willows in a helicopter survey in May. At this time we feel there are somewhere around 35-38 that use the canyon. They seem fairly healthy right now," he reported.

"State park and state wilderness policy is to remove exotic plants and animals, especially if they are have a negative impact on the environment. This is a most fragile area." The band, which ordinarily spends much of its time in the riparian zone, stays closer to the creek for longer periods during a drought. Coyote canyon's oases are magnets for wildlife including bighorn, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and horses.

In spite of the proximity of predators and prey animals, the first evidence that a horse had been eaten by a cougar was turned in two weeks ago. Mountain lion scat contained hair that Jorgensen said was obviously horse hair. "The ones in the upper canyon are spending a lot of their time on private ranches. During this drought scenario, my guess is they will spend more time on private land. If they are not in our park, that's not our business." Jorgensen said that the state's job is complex. He remembered a saying that used to hang on a wall in his mother's house, "If I pick a wildflower, what effect will it have on a star?" "In wilderness areas our job is not to protect things; it is to protect the natural process. Federally endangered least Bell's Vireos have two nest sites in Upper Willows and five in Middle Willows. They nest three and a half feet off the ground. Grazing and browsing livestock are especially detrimental (to them)."

Archaeological integrity is another factor the park is examining. There are American Indian sites, including graves, in the canyon. "There's no doubt that horses impact archeological sites", Jorgensen said. "Congress passed a law in 1971 protecting virtually all wild horses and burros on public or federal lands. There were 17,000 wild horses in the Western United States when the law was passed. It is estimated there are 50,000 to 70,000 today," he explained. "Aside from some south of Jacumba coming up from Mexico and two to five from the Aqua Caliente Indian Reservation, these are about the only wild horses in San Diego County." Because the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has authority on public lands, ABDSP had requested conformation of ownership of the horses from BLM for about 15 years. BLM's Desert District finally gave control of the problem horses to ABDSP last spring. Now the horses are under the ownership of the State of California. "If we catch them we are free to do whatever we want with them."

When discussing some of the alternatives, Jorgensen said there are people who want the horses left in the canyon no matter what the environmental impact is. Others have suggested sterilizing the studs and letting the band die out, which would take approximately 20 years. The third option is to capture the horses and adopt them out to equestrian groups or horse sanctuaries. "If the park makes a decision to remove the horses, their safety and health will be the park's primary concern", Jorgensen said. "I would like horse groups to assist us with it. We're going to need help. We already have offers of corral facilities where our vets can give these animals vet checks. We have some support already".