Develop information to be used in bighorn sheep management and conservationefforts in nebraska

The Nebraska Game & Parks Commission received a $1,050,651 formula grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611), effective September 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. The award funds a bighorn sheep management and conservation project that integrates ecological research on space use and movement patterns with disease surveillance activities. Deliverables include the development of predictive models to assess disease transmission risks that may impact bighorn sheep population dynamics in Nebraska.

The project also provides technical assistance to landowners and domestic sheep owners to facilitate collaborative management approaches that improve bighorn sheep conservation outcomes. As a formula grant under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, this award supports the state wildlife agency's core conservation mission through funding authorized for habitat restoration, wildlife population management, and species-specific research initiatives. The performance period extends approximately three years, allowing the Commission to conduct comprehensive ecological monitoring and stakeholder engagement activities throughout the project timeline.

The project incorporates ecological study of bighorn sheep space use and movements withdisease surveillance, which will be used to develop models that estimate the potential for disease transmissionthat can limit populations. The project also provides technical assistance to landowners and domestic sheepowners to further collaborations that will facilitate improved bighorn sheep management and conservation efforts.