Action timeline

April 20, 1999 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep as endangered under the Endangered Species Act on an emergency basis.

January 3, 2000 – The Service found that the Sierra Nevada bighorn constituted a distinct population segment and published a final rule listing the species as endangered on a permanent basis.

December 8, 2005 – The Center sued the Service for its failure to designate critical habitat for the sheep.

July 25, 2007 – The Service proposed designating 417,577 acres of critical habitat for the bighorn sheep. A final decision was set to be due on July 17, 2008.

September 24, 2007 – The Service published a recovery plan for the sheep.

February 2008 – The Service announced the publication of a recovery plan for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. The agency also announced the availability of the draft economic analysis for the species’ critical habitat designation and re-opened the critical habitat comment period until March 6, 2008.

August 5, 2008 – The Service designated more than 400,000 acres of land as critical habitat essential for the sheep’s survival and recovery in the eastern Sierra Nevada.