By Jane Hendron, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office

A local, state, and federal partnership has acquired 100 acres in the Santa Rosa Mountains in the southwestern part of La Quinta, California to conserve endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep habitat and protect the City’s scenic backdrop. The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the City of La Quinta announced the acquisition just west of the Martinez rock slide in December 2007.

The acquisition is part of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. The Service’s contributions came from Section 6 grant dollars which are used specifically to buy habitat for endangered species recovery. The acquisition funding sources are:

$1,896,485      U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (federal grant funds)

$   696,000      Wildlife Conservation Board

$   243,121      City of La Quinta

$   404,394      Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy

$3,240,000      Total purchase price

 “This habitat acquisition demonstrates the benefits of working in partnership with others to conserve our wildlife resources”, said Jim Bartel, Field Supervisor of the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office. “The Service actively promotes these types of partnering efforts and we look forward to additional opportunities to conserve species in the Coachella Valley.”