The following is the "Critical Habitat" designation list which was released August of last year for the designated Sierra BH Sheep herds which actually supercedes the official USFS Williamson/Baxter Closure directive of 1981. It encompasses the Williamson/Baxter closure along with 10 other locations.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin ... r05au08-10
Designated areas include the following:
1. Mount Warren
2. Mount Gibbs
3. Convict Creek
4. Wheeler Ridge
5. Taboose Creek
6. Sawmill Canyon
7. Mount Baxter
8. Mount Williamson
9. Big Arroyo
10. Mount Langley
11. Laurel Creek
12. Olancha Peak
The highlighted areas have high regular human & vehicular interaction/visitation. Pretty bizzare.
Here is a very interesting comment/analysis within the CH document that is another valid reason to reopen this closure indefinitely to stufy the effects of human interaction....
" It remains unclear how significantly Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep
may be affected by human disturbance (Jones 1950, pp. 71-72; Dunaway 1971, p. 19; Wehausen et al. 1977, p. 31; Hicks and Elder 1979, p. 914; Wehausen 1980, pp. 200-201; MacArthur et al. 1982, p. 356; Papouchis et al. 2001, pp. 579-580). Additional investigations are needed to identify areas of conflict as situations arise where the increased presence of humans could be detrimental to the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep or its habitat. These areas of use could displace Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep from important habitats."