The Round Valley mule deer herd gained another piece of critical habitat recently when the Eastern Sierra Land Trust completed the purchase of a ten-acre voluntary land protection agreement in Swall Meadows. Through a significant donation of value by the landowner and funding from the California Deer Association, California Wildlife Conservation Board, and members of the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, this conservation agreement brings the total protected habitat to 72 acres in the narrowest part of the migration corridor of the deer herd. The landowner, Dr. Tom McAfee, stated, "I'm so pleased this critical habitat will be set aside to support Eastern Sierra biodiversity as well as help maintain a safe migration corridor for the Round Valley mule deer herd. I appreciate the efforts of the Eastern Sierra Land Trust to make this happen. It's a win-win for all involved."
The protected property is located where the migration corridor bottlenecks to about a mile wide between Wheeler Ridge and Rock Creek Gorge, with Highway 395 nearby as an added danger to migration. Approximately 2200 mule deer travel this route twice a year between their summer and winter ranges and there are concerns from biologists and sportsmen alike that added residential development in critical habitat could cause the decline of the herd. Many other species of wildlife use the migration corridor such as neotropical songbirds, golden eagles, and mountain lions.
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