Boulder City backs wildlife officials

Friday, July 29, 2005 | 8:47 a.m.

Boulder City officials and residents say the River Mountain bighorn sheep have minds of their own and will come down to the park even if people do nothing to encourage them.

And local officials, in response to state wildlife officials' concerns for the animals, say they are taking steps to protect bighorns during their daily summertime visits.

"The sheep are the reason that dogs are prohibited from Hemenway Park," said Boulder City Manager Vicki Mayes, who lives about a block from the park.

"We do not want dogs to interfere with the sheep. It is a safety issue for both the sheep and the pet owner. The park is a natural draw to the sheep."

As for the mountain bike and hiking paths in the nearby Bootleg Canyon area, Mayes said there is "no desire" to expand them. However, she said, the city is attempting to master-plan the area, which will determine specific uses for each existing trail.

Patrick Cummings, a biologist with the state Wildlife Division, said the sheep will "not tolerate" people coming into their habitat on those trails and eventually will move on to ever-shrinking areas of their mountain habitat -- areas the sheep might previously have avoided because of other potential dangers.

"Not only is there less habitat, but the areas they move to might not be familiar to them," Cummings said. "These animals need to be familiar with their surroundings to have the best chance of protecting their young from predators and other dangers."

Mayes said measures also have long been in place to protect the bighorn herd of the nearby Eldorado Valley that often crossbreeds with the River Mountain herd.

"We have a huge area in the Eldorado Valley that started out as a desert tortoise preserve and today is a multi-species preserve," Mayes said. "There is absolutely no development allowed and limited recreational uses."

Mayes said the fact that Boulder City practices controlled growth -- just 120 building permits are issued each year -- ensures the sheep and man both will have plenty of wide open spaces to enjoy.

Tina Baley, Boulder City's animal control supervisor, who is head of a three-person department, said bighorn sheep calls during the summer keep both animal control and the police department busy.

"We get one or two calls a week from May through September -- mostly to let us know of sheep that are in the road or in someone's front yard," Baley said.

"We respond when there are life-threatening situations. If a sheep is just standing in a yard, then no. If a ram is trying to climb through a plate glass window thinking its own image is another sheep, then yes.

"People love the sheep,' Baley said. "Most of the calls we get are of concern that the sheep are in danger."