bridger
03-13-2009, 07:36 PM
I am still away on holidays and just got this by email. i have just put a short summary on will try and post the entire twenty pages tomorrow.
2009 Stone’s Sheep / Caribou Inventory -
MU 7-52
by:
Conrad Thiessen
Wildlife Biologist
Ministry of Environment
400 – 10003 110th Avenue
Fort St. John BC V1J 6M7
March 2009
Executive Summary
Between February 25 and March 5, 2009 an aerial classified total count of Stone’s sheep was conducted in Management Unit 7-52 of the Peace Region of British Columbia. During the survey a total of 1101 sheep were counted (627 ewe-like sheep, 135 lambs, 60 class I rams, 128 class II rams, 124 class III rams, 30 class IV rams). A sightability correction factor of 79% was applied to the observations based on research conducted in the Sulfur/8 Mile study area bringing the estimated number of Stone’s sheep in the inventory area to 1332. In 1997 an inventory covering a portion of MU 7-52 was conducted during which 1528 sheep were observed (1037 of which were within the boundaries of the 2009 survey area). In 2007 a wildlife inventory was conducted by ResCan as part of an environmental assessment for mining operations in the Kutcho Lake area of MU 7-52. During that survey 67 sheep were counted. By combining all the survey observations collected over the last two years in the Peace Region: 1101 sheep from the 2009 MU 7-52 survey, 3137 sheep from the 2007 MoE Stone’s sheep inventory, 67 sheep from the Kutcho Creek count and 939 sheep from the Sulfur/8 Mile survey a total of 5244 sheep were observed in the Peace Region. If the 79% sightability correction factor is applied then there are an estimated 6345 Stone’s sheep in the Peace Region. As these were primarily total counts it is not possible to put confidence intervals around the estimate. However, results from the Sulfur/8 Mile project showed 95% confidence intervals in the +/- 13-25% range.
2009 Stone’s Sheep / Caribou Inventory -
MU 7-52
by:
Conrad Thiessen
Wildlife Biologist
Ministry of Environment
400 – 10003 110th Avenue
Fort St. John BC V1J 6M7
March 2009
Executive Summary
Between February 25 and March 5, 2009 an aerial classified total count of Stone’s sheep was conducted in Management Unit 7-52 of the Peace Region of British Columbia. During the survey a total of 1101 sheep were counted (627 ewe-like sheep, 135 lambs, 60 class I rams, 128 class II rams, 124 class III rams, 30 class IV rams). A sightability correction factor of 79% was applied to the observations based on research conducted in the Sulfur/8 Mile study area bringing the estimated number of Stone’s sheep in the inventory area to 1332. In 1997 an inventory covering a portion of MU 7-52 was conducted during which 1528 sheep were observed (1037 of which were within the boundaries of the 2009 survey area). In 2007 a wildlife inventory was conducted by ResCan as part of an environmental assessment for mining operations in the Kutcho Lake area of MU 7-52. During that survey 67 sheep were counted. By combining all the survey observations collected over the last two years in the Peace Region: 1101 sheep from the 2009 MU 7-52 survey, 3137 sheep from the 2007 MoE Stone’s sheep inventory, 67 sheep from the Kutcho Creek count and 939 sheep from the Sulfur/8 Mile survey a total of 5244 sheep were observed in the Peace Region. If the 79% sightability correction factor is applied then there are an estimated 6345 Stone’s sheep in the Peace Region. As these were primarily total counts it is not possible to put confidence intervals around the estimate. However, results from the Sulfur/8 Mile project showed 95% confidence intervals in the +/- 13-25% range.