Look for complete geospatial metadata in this layer's associated xml document available from the download link


* Metric Name: Peninsular Bighorn Sheep  

* Tier: 2  

* Data Vintage: 2008  

* Unit Of Measure: Binary layer, 1 represents current habitat  

* Metric Definition and Relevance: These data identify, in general, the areas where the final revised critical habitat for the Peninsular bighorn sheep ( _Ovis canadensis nelsoni_ ) occurs. This subspecies is only found in the Southern California Region.  

* Creation Method: The authors designate revised critical habitat for the Peninsular bighorn sheep, a distinct population segment (DPS) of desert bighorn sheep ( _Ovis canadensis nelsoni_ ) occupying the Peninsular Ranges of Southern California, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 376,938 acres (ac) (152,542 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. This revised designation of critical habitat for Peninsular bighorn sheep reduces the 2001 designation by approximately 467,959 ac (189,377 ha). The revised critical habitat is located in Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial Counties, California. This revision takes into account comments from the public, including biologists familiar with the Peninsular bighorn sheep, on areas essential to the conservation of the Peninsular bighorn sheep. As a result of these comments, new information received, and a revision of their criteria used to identify critical habitat, they reevaluated the proposed revised critical habitat boundary and determined that some additions and deletions should be made. The critical habitat polygons were then transformed to a binary 30m raster layer, where 1 represents critical habitat.  

* Credits: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office.