Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge is a 57304 acres (23,190.1 ha) national wildlife refuge located on the northern border of the U.S. state of Nevada
. A very small part extends northward into Oregon
. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
as the Nevada component of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
, which is headquartered in Lakeview, Oregon
. The Sheldon Refuge is noted for its population of wild horses
.
In 1931, the refuge was established under executive order to carry out three central goals: First, the refuge was to provide a habitat for the pronghorn antelope, an animal whose population was in decline during the early 1900s. Second, conservation efforts were put forth to protect native fish, wildlife and plants. Finally, the refuge was to serve as an inviolate migratory bird sanctuary.
Sheldon is one of the few intact sagebrush steppe
ecosystems in the Great Basin
and as a result hosts a variety of wildlife endemic to the unique environment. Desert fishes, greater sage-grouse
, migratory birds, mule deer and the pygmy rabbit
are all residents of the refuge.
hot springs provide some water. The dominant ecosystem plant life consists of drought-tolerant species such as sagebrush
, juniper
, mountain mahogany, bitterbrush, and aspen
. The elevation ranges from 4100 feet (1,249.7 m) to 7200 feet (2,194.6 m) above sea level.
In this forbidding landscape lives a large population of free-range fauna
, with the American mustang, the so-called "wild horse" of the American West, being the best known. There are also large herds of mule deer
, an estimated 3,500 pronghorn
, and a small but self-sustaining population of bighorn sheep
.
The bighorn are not strictly native to the Sheldon Refuge, having been extirpated there during the frontier era and successfully reintroduced about 1930. The pronghorn "antelope" played a key role in the history of the Refuge, as approximately 94 percent of the current protected land area was originally set aside as the Charles Sheldon Antelope Range in 1936.
The Refuge is the home of an endemic fish species of limited geographic distribution, the Alvord chub
.
The nearest community of any size is Denio, Nevada
, 14 miles from the Refuge's eastern boundary. The nearest divided highway is Interstate 80
in Winnemucca, Nevada
, approximately 100 miles to the south.
In response, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign accused the USFWS of conducting "helicopter round-ups during foal
ing season" in the Sheldon Refuge.
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. A very small part extends northward into Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
as the Nevada component of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
The Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a management unit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It comprises two wildlife refuges, the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Oregon and the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada, that are managed as a single...
, which is headquartered in Lakeview, Oregon
Lakeview, Oregon
Lakeview is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,294 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. Although it is an incorporated city, the municipal government refers to the community as "The Town of Lakeview", and bills itself as "Tallest Town in Oregon"...
. The Sheldon Refuge is noted for its population of wild horses
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
.
In 1931, the refuge was established under executive order to carry out three central goals: First, the refuge was to provide a habitat for the pronghorn antelope, an animal whose population was in decline during the early 1900s. Second, conservation efforts were put forth to protect native fish, wildlife and plants. Finally, the refuge was to serve as an inviolate migratory bird sanctuary.
Sheldon is one of the few intact sagebrush steppe
Sagebrush steppe
The sagebrush steppe is a type of shrub-steppe, which is a dry-xeric environment and plant community found in the Western United States and western Canada...
ecosystems in the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and as a result hosts a variety of wildlife endemic to the unique environment. Desert fishes, greater sage-grouse
Sage Grouse
The Sage Grouse is the largest grouse in North America, where it is known as the Greater Sage-Grouse. Its range is sagebrush country in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. A population of smaller birds, known in the U.S. as Gunnison Sage-Grouse, were recently...
, migratory birds, mule deer and the pygmy rabbit
Pygmy Rabbit
The Pygmy Rabbit is a North American rabbit, and is one of only two rabbit species in America to dig its own burrow...
are all residents of the refuge.
Description
The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge occupies an arid zone of volcanic terrain. Rockhounds search for semiprecious stones such as fire opals. GeothermalGeothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
hot springs provide some water. The dominant ecosystem plant life consists of drought-tolerant species such as sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
, juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, mountain mahogany, bitterbrush, and aspen
Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...
. The elevation ranges from 4100 feet (1,249.7 m) to 7200 feet (2,194.6 m) above sea level.
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, with the American mustang, the so-called "wild horse" of the American West, being the best known. There are also large herds of mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, an estimated 3,500 pronghorn
Pronghorn
The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
, and a small but self-sustaining population of bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
.
The bighorn are not strictly native to the Sheldon Refuge, having been extirpated there during the frontier era and successfully reintroduced about 1930. The pronghorn "antelope" played a key role in the history of the Refuge, as approximately 94 percent of the current protected land area was originally set aside as the Charles Sheldon Antelope Range in 1936.
The Refuge is the home of an endemic fish species of limited geographic distribution, the Alvord chub
Alvord chub
The Alvord chub Gila alvordensis is a rare cyprinid fish endemic to the Alvord basin in southeastern Oregon and northwestern Nevada, USA, known only from a few springs, streams, and marshes in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, and one location elsewhere.The Alvord chub is a small fish, with...
.
The nearest community of any size is Denio, Nevada
Denio, Nevada
Denio, Nevada is an unincorporated community that lies on the Nevada-Oregon state line in Humboldt County, Nevada and Harney County, Oregon, in the United States. The community is also known as Denio, Oregon. There was formerly a Denio, Oregon post office north of the state line. Most of the town...
, 14 miles from the Refuge's eastern boundary. The nearest divided highway is Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
in Winnemucca, Nevada
Winnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
, approximately 100 miles to the south.
Controversy
Proposals to cull some of the alleged excess population of mustang in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge were drawing public concern . The official Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) position, as stated on their Refuge website, was that "horses and burros are not native to Sheldon Refuge. They are descended from domestic stock turned loose around the turn of the twentieth century. They are primarily grass eaters, and their grazing can devastate native vegetation and cause severe damage to riparian habitat."In response, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign accused the USFWS of conducting "helicopter round-ups during foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
ing season" in the Sheldon Refuge.