Alva Review-Courier -

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — After struggling for decades, the bighorn sheep population in the Big Thompson and St. Vrain canyons finally appears to be stabilizing. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause, wildlife biologists at Colorado Parks and Wildlife have ironically linked at least part of the herd's success to wildfire.

"Sheep typically don't like closed in areas with a forested canopy so when you have major landscape changes such as a fire, it's usually pretty beneficial for the sheep," said Ben Kraft, a wildlife biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "The Big Elk Fire and the f...