The objective of this project is to obtain baseline information on local pronghorn population, including habitat use and response to disturbances, space-use, home range size, movements within and…

The objective of this project is to obtain baseline information on local pronghorn population, including habitat use and response to disturbances, space-use, home range size, movements within and across jurisdictions (including farmington BLM), and document rates and causes of mortality that affect population dynamics. This project will consist of tracking 30 pronghorn does using GPS collars to monitor pronghorn movements and habitat use on BLM lands as well as inholdings of private landowners, NM state lands, and adjacent tribal landowners. Collar data will provide insight into population trends including mortality rates, fawn production rates, and fawn survival through the early months. The collars will be used to track annual and seasonal patterns associated with varying rainfall and forage production or other environmental and human-caused conditions which could influence movements, home range sizes, rates of mortality, and population sustainability. The study will overlap with the development of solar power plants on BLM lands and allow a direct assessment of how the solar projects affected pronghorns. Public benefit:presently, there is limited baseline information on this relatively small population. The information collected from this project will enable stronger science-based decisions related to general management and mitigation efforts to ensure species survival.