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Volume 21, Issue 2 WINTER, 2017

Sandoval joins other governors in questioning aspects of federal sage grouse

conservation plansRiley SnyderThe Nevada Independent

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has joined several of his fellow Western governors in criticizing portions of a Trump administration plan to revisit and potentially modify federal approaches to sage grouse conservation efforts.

In a statement provided to The Nevada Independent, a spokeswoman for Sandoval said that the governor shared concerns that a report published by Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke last week suggesting possible modifications to a 2015 land use plan designed to keep the bird off the federal Endangered Species List.

Sandoval spokeswoman Mari St. Martin said that the governor considered the report to be “another step” in ensuring that Nevada’s needs and existing state plans to deal with sage grouse conservation are either improved or kept in place. But Sandoval took issue with one experimental and controversial aspect of the proposed changes — setting state-specific population targets for sage grouse rather than the broader goal of improving and restoring habitat.

“We have to remember, that the Greater sage-grouse is a state bird and management of the bird is a state responsibility,” she said in an email. “Governor Sandoval does not agree with managing the bird by population objectives as defined by the Secretary. He continues to believe that habitat must be managed properly in order to increase numbers and conserve habitat.”

Just about every side in the debate over sage grouse, from ranchers to environmentalists to state and federal officials agree that listing the bird on the Endangered Species List could be catastrophic to future development in both rural Nevada and the other 10 states with a sage grouse population. As the Interior Department continues to review and suggest changes to existing conservation efforts, here’s a look at how the current conservation plan came into effect and what could possibly change going forward.

Bird is the word

Sage grouse look like overly plump chickens and come with patterned feathers and a notoriously odd mating dance. They’re found in

15 out of 17 counties in Nevada, and are found in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Federal officials estimate that sage grouse population has declined by about 30 percent since 1985, primarily due to loss of habitat. The species relies on sagebrush, which faces threats from invasive species such as cheatgrass, human development and wildfires and takes between 20 and 100 years to fully restore.

In 2010, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined that population declines and eroding habitats warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act, but the bird was not placed on the list in favor of higher-priority species.

That near-listing led to a wake-up call for several states, many of which launched state-

based initiatives and began working more closely with the federal government to prevent a listing of the species, which create numerous regulatory and cost-prohibitive hurdles — including a requirement that Fish & Wildlife assess and approve any project that could affect a listed species — that would likely deter or slow down energy projects in many Western states. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert estimated in 2014 that a listing would cost the state $41 billion in lost oil and gas production.

It’s why many western states felt as if they dodged a bullet in 2015 after former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced that in an “unprecedented” conservation effort, the species was not in danger of going extinct and thus would

not be listed. It coincided the finalizing of 98 separate land use plans across 10 states designed to aid habitat conservation efforts and “support sustainable economic development.”

Nevada has been dealing with sage grouse conservation efforts for nearly two decades — former Gov. Kenny Guinn launched a conservation team in 2000, and Sandoval has largely continued those efforts, forming his own task force in 2011 and overseeing approval of a lengthy conservation plan in 2014.

Fish & Wildlife Service is scheduled to reevaluate the status of the sage grouse and potentially determine if it warrants inclusion on the endangered species list in 2020.

DOI order and what it could mean for Nevada

In early June, Zinke signed an order creating an internal review team designed to evaluate federal and state sage grouse conservation plans and explore possible modifications to the plan that could encourage “local economic growth and job creation.”

The fruits of that order resulted in a memorandum from Zinke and 13-page report released in early August detailing topic areas and a number of short and long term recommendations designed to improve the plan and “strengthen communication and collaboration between states and the federal government.”

Zinke said in the memo that he was “particularly interested” in assisting states set population objectives to help raise the bird’s numbers — a change in policy opposed

by Sandoval and Nevada Conservation League executive director Andrew Maggi, who said it will only exacerbate issues and that conservation and habitat restoration was a more effective long-term solution.

“That’s not scientific. Science doesn’t back that up,” he said. “Science says focus on habitat.”

The report itself notes that more research is needed on the effectiveness of captive breeding to increase population size and “has not yet prove effective.” The report also details recommendations on updating habitat management, modifying or creating new policies on “fluid mineral leasing,” increasing “flexibility”

See sage grouse conservation page 3

2 Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017

Nevada WildlifePublished quarterly

by Nevada Wildlife Federation, Inc.

Editor: Lou Christensenlpcinnv@gmail.com

In this Issue:Sage Grouse Conservation Plan 1President’s Message 2Members and Friends 2Reptile Collection Ban 3Bear Expansion 3Neada Bees 4Bee Identification Guides 4-5Nevada Wldlife Action Plans 6Wildlife Action Plan Projects 7South Canyon Road Legal Issue 8Multimedia 8Calendar 8

Nevada Wildlife Federation, Inc.P.O. Box 71238, Reno, NV 89570

phone (775) 677-0927

Web site: www.nvwf.org

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President: Robert GaudetDistrict 1 (Reno) Vice Pres.: Lou ChristensenDistrict 2 (Elko) Vice Pres.: Jack PrierDistrict 3 (Las Vegas) Vice Pres.: Kevin CabbleSecretary: Barbara McKinnonTreasurer: Tammi GaudetNational Wildlife Federation (NWF) Representative: Robert GaudetAlternate NWF Rep: Lou Christensen

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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Please circle your choice of T-shirt. Please in-dicate size: Adult: Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, XXXL.Books Beyond Fair Chase; Red Rock Canyon Plants; and Inherit the Hunt, which tells stories on the tradition of hunting by Jim Posewitz.Pocket guides NevadaTreesandWildflowers;NevadaBirds;Nevada Birds of Prey; Animal Tracks; Nevada Wildlife; BuildingaSurvivalKit;FreshwaterFishing;Geology:Rocks,Minerals,Fossils;Shelter,Fire,Water:KeyElements. Please circle your choice of book. Your generous donation of $60 or more will be rewarded with a choice of any two items listed above (books and clothing only). Please circle your two gift choices.

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Nearly 50 years ago, I moved to Nevada, lured largely by

the fishing and the state’s amazing public lands. Once here, a buddy and I, both novice hunters, took to the open field, and I was hooked for life.

I’ve maintained local hunting and fishing licenses for about a half century. I’ve been a volunteer angler and hunter education instructor for

the Nevada Department of Wildlife since 1993. I am a lifelong sportsman and longtime Nevada resident.

To say I have a passion for wildlife and the outdoors is an understatement. That’s a big reason I support staying the course with the sage-grouse conservation plans finalized in 2015 to conserve the greater sage-grouse and its habitat, the sagebrush steppe. Most hunters know that the sagebrush lands that are essential to sage-grouse are also essential to mule deer, elk, pronghorn and a lot of other wildlife that Nevadans care about.

I understand how complex and contentious management of wildlife and public lands is in the West. The greater sage-grouse is the latest species at the center of numerous political storms. Two years ago, it looked as if those storms were easing after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided that sage-grouse didn’t need to be added to the endangered species list. The agency credited “an unprecedented landscape-scale conservation effort” across the West and the work by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service with the states to develop plans aimed at saving sage-grouse.

But here we are, two years later, on the verge of seeing the plans forged over years with the help of Westerners unravel before our eyes. The BLM is taking public comments and holding open houses in Nevada and other states, but it’s very clear that big changes are likely in store. The conservation plans include provisions for making adjustments as needed. However, the Interior Department is looking at weakening or eliminating safeguards in important sage-grouse habitat, areas considered key to maintaining the bird’s population.

A major concern of Interior officials seems to be removing what they see as impediments to energy

production on public lands. Secretary Ryan Zinke sent a defining message in June when he ordered a review of the sage-grouse plans. He said a review team would evaluate the plans in light of his order targeting perceived burdens on energy development.

None of the anglers and hunters I know would deny we need energy. After all, most of us get in our trucks or SUVs fueled by gasoline to go hunting or fishing and use electricity in our homes. But the sage-grouse plans don’t shut down energy development. A recent report by Backcountry Hunters &Anglers says that 79 percent of the areas with medium or high potential for energy development fall outside grouse habitat.

It’s indisputable that the greater sage-grouse population is precariously low. Fish and Wildlife estimates there are fewer than a half million birds across 11 Western states. Only about half of its historic habitat remains, and a lot of that is in rough shape because of drought, wildfires and invasive plant species.

The plans to save sage-grouse and a unique Western landscape were the result of a lot of hard work and compromising by people across all sectors. Of the roughly 90 million acres of sage-grouse habitat on public lands, only about a third are designated as priority habitat with significant protections under the conservation plans.

Let us move forward with saving greater sage-grouse and the habitat that is vital for more than 350 other species. Communities and regions should come together to ensure that Nevada’s great wildlife and outdoors are here for many generations to come.

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Michael and Elizabeth Liddiard donated to NvWF to honor their friend Jerry Hoffman. Jerry is survived by his wife Karen Hoffman. NvWF expresses our sincere condolences to the Hoffman family.

Robert Gaudet

Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017

Sage grouse conservation from page 1

in grazing policies and a host of other land-use issues.

While Zinke has instructed Interior Department agencies to begin following through with the report, many of the recommendations laid out call for additional communication and collaboration with local and state authorities.

Sandoval’s spokeswoman said that the report would give Nevada additional flexibility in making any necessary changes to the state’s conservation plan, and noted that Sandoval and other members of the Western Governors’ Association had met with Zinke throughout 2017 and requested that states were a major part of the discussion especially with any amendments to land-use plans.

“Nevada’s engagement has identified where in the plans flexibility is needed, what state specific remedies may already exist, and how best to better involve stakeholders,” she said.

Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Republican Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead sent a joint letter to Zinke in June stating that a population-based approach to conservation was “not the right decision,” and said “wholesale” changes to the 2015 land use plans were likely unneeded.

Mead echoed those concerns again last week after the release of the initial report.

“The states have primacy over sage-grouse management and Wyoming’s plan is solid and should be allowed to work,” Mead said in a statement last week. “The Wyoming approach

balances energy, agriculture, conservation and recreation. The federal plans do not fully implement the Wyoming approach. While DOI identifies numerous ways to improve federal plans, I am concerned that the recommendations place more focus on population targets and captive breeding.”

Other governors in Western states have been more open to the department’s proposed changes — Idaho Gov. Butch Otter said he was encouraged by the release of the report.

“This is an appropriate step toward empowering Idaho to proactively manage and conserve sage grouse populations while preserving the customs and culture of the state,” he said.

Ben Botkin Review-Journal Capital Bureau September 25, 2017

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners has perma-

nently banned the commercial collection of reptiles in the Silver State.The state commission’s 6-1 decision, made during its Saturday meeting, effec-

tively ends Nevada’s policy of allowing unlimited commercial reptile collecting. The decades long policy set the state apart from its neighbors in the West, alarming con-servationists and state wildlife officials who are concerned about the effect on reptile populations.

The Center for Biological Diversity pushed for a complete ban, sending state wildlife officials a letter signed by four dozen scientists.

“This is a huge win for the wildlife and ecosystems of Nevada,” said Patrick Donnelly, the center’s Nevada state director. “These reptiles play central roles in the desert ecosystem and this will allow populations to recover and that provides benefits — beyond the reptiles — that provide food for the eagles and hawks.”

Nearly half a million reptiles have been gathered in Nevada by commercial col-

Reprieve for Lizards

Scott Smith, Stephen SautnerWildlife Conservation Society

A new study from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), and the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) finds that conservation efforts have resulted in successful re-colonization of black bears into portions of their historic ranges in the Great Basin in Nevada.

The animals had been absent from these areas for more than 80 years. WCS and NDOW teamed with researchers from UNR to use hair and blood samples from bears to examine the genetic consequences of this natural recolonization in a large-bodied mammal, and this is one of the few empirical examples to do so. While unregulated hunting and conflicts with settler’s domestic livestock contributed to the bear’s local extirpation from the Great Basin in the early 1900’s, it is likely that landscape changes due to clear-cutting of forests throughout western and central Nevada during the settlement era played an important role as well.

But as fossil fuel replaced timber as a heat and energy source, forestry and grazing practices evolved, and reforestation and habitat regeneration occurred in parts of the black bear’s former range.

In addition to habitat regeneration, the study authors attribute the successful recolonization to conservation efforts conducted by WCS and NDOW over the course of more than 20 years. These included public education, investing in bear-proofing communities, reducing conflict rates between carnivores and people, and reduced human-caused carnivore mortality rates.

As a result of the efforts, a once negative population growth rate for bears in urban-interface areas became an average annual growth rate of 16 percent for more than a decade, and re-colonization of historic ranges in the mountains of the Great Basin ensued. Once extirpated from their former range,

lectors since 1987, state data show.“By voting for a full and permanent ban on commercial collection of reptiles, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners provided significant protec-

tion to Nevada’s reptiles and will allow the greatest ability for declining species to recover,” said Jennifer Newmark, administrator of wildlife diversity for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

Commercial collectors with permits can continue gathering reptiles until year’s end. The ban begins Jan. 1, 2018.The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners will host a public workshop and a second hearing before permanently adopting the new regulation to ban

reptile collection. While that process could take several months, wildlife officials have stopped issuing new permits and will no longer renew annual permits.The commission had considered other options, such as a temporary ban, or limiting collecting based on species, the breeding season and location.

Commercial collectors had proposed ending the unlimited collecting and capping collections at 100 reptiles a day.

Bears are Back

See bears are back page 8

4 Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017NEVADA BEES

Bees of Nevada - Numerous and VariousKevin BurlsNevada Bugs and Butterflies

While walking across Nevada landscapes, it’s easy to understand that some types of wildlife are easier to see than others. Mammals, birds, butterflies, and reptiles are some of the easier to spot. Smaller animals, such as bees, are harder to observe- or at least to tell apart. This usually means we know less about these animals, both in the everyday and at the scientific level. This is unfortunate for our relationship with bees, since their role as pollinators is so important to our everyday lives and our actions affect their livelihoods as well.

When I talk about Nevada’s bees, I am talking about native bees- as opposed to the European honey bee, important as that species is. In North

America there are over 4,000 species of native bees, ranging in size from just 0.08 inches to well over 1 inch in length. Unlike the honey bee, the vast majority of native bee species (with the exception of bumble bees and a few others) are solitary, meaning each mother takes care of her own young. These bees are spread across all Nevada landscapes, pollinating native wildflowers and many food crops.

Exactly how many native bee species are in Nevada is part of what we don’t know. In Utah, with a similar climate and landscape, the Utah State University Cooperative Extension estimates there are around 900 bee species. Diversity in Nevada is likely similar—one unpublished study done in Mojave National Preserve found almost 700 species; California has an estimated 1,600 species. Imagine: just in the Reno area, there are

likely over 100 species of native bees, pollinating flowers in home gardens, local farms, and urban wild areas every day of the spring and summer.

As with many other insects, solitary bee biology and ecology are also less known that that of many mammals and birds. Bees, like butterflies, go through complete metamorphosis, starting as an egg and hatching into a larva, devoted to eating and growing. Larvae typically eat a pollen ball, gathered by the mother during thousands of flower visits. Metamorphosis takes place during the pupal stage, with the adult bee emerging to mate and reproduce. Approximately two thirds of native bee species lay their eggs in small burrows in the ground, while the remaining third nest in small cavities in wood. Adults will feed in nearby areas, and small bees may not travel more than a few

See Bees page 5

Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017

Bees from page 4

hundred yards from their burrow. Larger bees may forage across much longer distances.

Plants benefit from the bees’ hard work by the cross-pollination of flowers as bees collect pollen for their young and drink nectar for themselves. These relationships are long-established, and most bee species have types of flowers that they prefer. Bumble bees, for example, can often be found on the large tube-shaped flowers of plants in the genus Penstemon, while long-horned bees in the subfamily Eucerini are often sunflower specialists. Other bees are generalists, visiting many flower types depending what is in season and nearby. Some native bee species in the Megachilidae family are especially effective at pollinating orchard and berry crops. Many bees have adaptations for efficiently collecting pollen, most notably hairs or structures on their legs or abdomen. Bumble bees also have the special quality of being able to buzz-pollinate plants, a trait that is essential for good pollination of many solanaceous plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

Bee population health and conservation has recently gained publicity in the public sphere, and with good cause. Both honey bee and native bee populations are in widespread decline due to a number of factors. Most notably, habitat loss due to urban development and large-scale agriculture reduce flower diversity, nectar availability, and nesting habitat for native bee species. Unfortunately, we simply can’t carry native bee populations around as we can honey bee hives; they need bare soil to nest and a plentiful flower population to survive and thrive. In addition, new pesticides such as

neonicotinoids are found in the pollen and nectar of inoculated plants, affecting bee and butterfly health in ways that scientists are currently studying. Honey bees, for example, may experience mortality or a range of sub-lethal effects including problems with flight and navigation, decreased learning ability, and reduced larval survival. While we know less about the effects on native bees, they are similar in nature.

Luckily, it is relatively easy for the average citizen to make a difference in their own local bee populations. Providing a complete bee habitat, including bare sandy ground and dead wood for nesting and plentiful nectar sources throughout the season, can be done in the space of a couple average-sized garden beds. Bee houses for cavity nesting species can be as fancy as ‘bee hotels’ seen on social media, or as simple as drilled holes in wood or a bundle of bamboo reeds. A large variety of beautiful and useful plants provide nectar and pollen for bees, including many mints, sunflowers, and lavender. Native wildflowers provide additional advantages to both humans and bees. Native species of plants require less water, may be more attractive to native bees, and are becoming more readily available in nurseries and seed catalogs. There are also numerous resources to help out in this endeavor: the Xerces Society (www.xerces.org) and Pollinator Partnership (www.pollinator.org) both have excellent regional plant lists and tips on habitat design. The Nevada Bugs and Butterflies website also has a short guide to identifying local bees (available at http://nevadabugs.org/what-we-do/links-and-resources/).

So, the next time you are out in your favorite natural area, or just in your backyard garden, take a closer look at the flowers. Chances are, you will find

some of these busy, unassuming, and vital creatures doing their good work. These amazing animals, with their unique adaptations and ways of life, are certainly owed our appreciation for their contribution to Nevada’s ecosystems.

Kevin Burls, Ph.D., is Executive Director of NevadaBugsandButterflies,aReno-basedscienceeducationnonprofit.

Sources used in this article:

National Park Service (2012) Mojave National Preserve Science Newsletter. Available online at https://www.nps.gov/moja/learn/nature/upload/201204MOJAscience.pdf.

Utah State University Cooperative Extension (2013) Gardening for native bees in Utah and beyond. Available online at http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1907&context=extension_curall

UC Davis Urban Bee Lab (2017) Bees: How diverse can they be?. Access online at www.helpabee.org/bees-how-diverse-can-they-be.html.

Xerces Society (2016) How neonicotinoids can kill bees. Available online at http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/HowNeonicsCanKillBees-Summary_XercesSociety.pdf.

Bees of Nevada Guide - Page 2

6 Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017CONSERVATION

The Power of Partnerships: Columbian Spotted Frog

The Columbia Spotted frog is an example of how a partnership of concerned citizens and organizations, backed by State Wildlife Grant funding, can implement proactive conservation actions that keep a species from being listed as Endangered or Threatened. Found in Nevada, southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, the Columbia spotted frog lives its entire life in water and faced the threat of declining water quantity and quality resulting in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing it as a Candidate species in 1993 under the Endangered Species Act. A diverse group of stakeholders, including state and federal partners, counties, non-pro ts, and private citizens formed a working group in 2003 and developed a 10-year conservation agreement and strategy that was signed in

2005 and renewed in 2015. Under this agreement, annual population monitoring of key sites in both Northeastern Nevada and central Nevada has occurred every year, documenting steady recovery and increasing populations. Active habitat restoration work has resulted in more persistent ponds, providing key habitat for frogs during drought years. State Wildlife Grants funding supported disease monitoring, individual movements of marked frogs, removal of invasive species, and documentation of annual breeding, all vitally important to activities to successfully conserving this species. Through these proactive actions, FWS determined that Columbia spotted frogs did not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Nevada Wildlife Action PlanNevada Department of Wildlife

Nevada is uniquely challenged in developing effective wildlife conservation programs, in part because of its arid climate, geology and relative scarcity of

water. Among the 50 states, Nevada ranks eleventh in overall biological diversity, but fth in the number of species extinctions. Challenges facing wildlife communities include more frequent and wide-spread wild res, conversion of native plant communities by invasive species, habitat fragmentation, and alteration of hydrologic processes. Moreover, climate change is likely already producing landscape-level changes. Proactive, rather than reactive conservation is the smartest, and most ef cient way, to address today’s wildlife challenges.

The State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program provides key funding for implementing State Wildlife Action Plans. It gives federal dollars to states to support pro-active, cost-eff ective conservation, and is the nation’s core program for

preventing wildlife from becoming listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Nevada’s Wildlife Action Plan provides a blueprint for achieving comprehensive wildlife conservation across the state. The Plan identifi es 256 Species of Conservation Priority and 22 key habitat types and is the result of collaborative eff orts by biologists, conservation organizations and sportsmen.

The Power of Partnerships:

conseand icore p

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Nevada Department of Wildlife - www.ndow.org

Nevada State Wildlife Action PlanThe Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) was charged with the development of a statewide Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan, now called

Nevada’s Wildlife Action Plan (WAP). The first plan was completed in 2005 and updated in 2012. NDOW uses the plan as a blueprint for keeping common species common and preventing rare species declines. In its proposals Nevada was one of the first states to include emerging stressors such as climate change, invasive species and disease in its plans.

.Initially the planning process was required of each state to continue to receive federal funds through the State Wildlife Grants program. For 2018 there is a

funding target of over $20 million to NDOW to implement Ssate wildlife action plans. Goals of the plan are to:

• Keep common species common • Address declining species’ needs BEFORE they are listed • Be proactive rather than reactive • Be based on collaboration and partnerships • Leverage state funding with federal funding • Protect wildlife for future generations of Nevadans

See action plan page 7

Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017

Indicators of Change: American Pika Surveys in NevadaAmerican pikas are small, rabbit-like animals that inhabit rocky, mountainous areas in Nevada. In summer 2009, the species was petitioned for endangered species listing under federal laws due primarily to their apparent vulnerability to rapid climate warming. Using State Wildlife Grant funding, NDOW has documented the presence of pika in previously unknown, low elevation sites, opening up completely new search areas in habitats that had been historically overlooked. When the USFWS requested input into the status review on the petition to list American pika, the State was able to draw on its own body of scienti c knowledge derived from on-going monitoring and survey work. Department personnel provided the USFWS with a compendium of data gathered by eld staff which assisted the USFWS in its decision. Ultimately, it was determined the species did not warrant protection at this time under the Endangered Species Act.

Reducing Threats to Wildlife: Mine Claim Marker Remediation ProjectHollow mine claim markers are a signi cant source of mortality for cavity nesting birds, small mammals, reptiles and pollinators. Wildlife enter the pipe seeking refuge, only to become trapped inside. In 2011, new state legislation (NRS 517.030) was enacted that makes these markers illegal and authorizes the posts to be knocked down on public land. NDOW, along with our partners, and funded by State Wildlife Grants, has on-going projects focused on locating and knocking down hollow mine claim markers. As many as 55 bird species have been documented dead in the posts, including countless mountain bluebirds, Nevada’s state bird. In some areas, as many as 60% of the posts have dead wildlife inside and in 2013, at least 2,091 bird mortalities were recorded during several post projects. Overall, more than 17,000 posts have been knocked down.

Radio Tracking the Elusive Gila MonsterWith increasing land development activities occurring in banded Gila monster habitat in southern Nevada, proper mitigation is necessary to effectively manage this species and its habitat. In spite of this, distribution information is dif cult to gather – individuals are hard to detect because they spend up to 99% of the lives underground. Movement among different populations is poorly understood, further exacerbating our ability to proactively manage the species. To address this critical need, NDOW has conducted a multi-year radio tracking study of Gila monsters in Southern Nevada, in association with desert tortoise work. This study is providing excellent data on how often, how far, and how much Gila monsters are moving and interacting in a given year. This information will help inform a predictive habitat model that will help us direct development to areas where Gila monsters are less likely to be impacted.

Satellite Tracking Golden EaglesIn the past year, NDOW biologists and partners have out tted Golden Eagles with satellite tracking devices to aid our understanding in how eagles are using the landscape and how far they travel both daily and seasonally. Although this project is on-going, we have already discovered some interesting movement patterns such as rst-year birds staying close to the natal nest far longer than researchers previously thought and adults traveling much further to hunt for food. We also are observing birds ying much further to forage daily. Development and transmission lines can fragment habitat and disturb Golden Eagle nesting; a better understanding of landscape use will help NDOW conserve this iconic western species.

Nevada Department of Wildlife - www.ndow.org

ACTION PLAN FROM PAGE 6 The Nevada Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) serves as a comprehensive, landscape level plan, identifying the species of greatest conservation

need and the key habitats on which they depend, with the intent to prevent wildlife species from becoming threatened or endangered. The WAP contains conservation actions to provide guidance to successfully conserve Nevada’s key habitats and priority species.

NDOW Wildlife Action Plan Projects

8 Nevada Wildlife – WINTER, 2017

Reno Gazette Journal 10/18/17SCOTT SONNER Associated Press

One of the nation’s longest-running court battles over local property rights and ownership of national forest roads may have finally come to an end in Nevada to the delight of environmentalists.

A federal judge in Reno ruled against rural Elko County late last month again and closed the 18-year-old case stemming from a sometimes vol-atile feud over the road in remote wilderness near the Idaho line.

“For nearly two decades, Elko County has tried to claim ownership of a road that belongs to the American public,” said Michael Freeman, a staff attorney for Earthjustice representing The Wilderness Society and Great Old Broads for Wilderness.

“We hope this ruling will finally bring this long-running case to an end,” he said.

The case has spanned four presidential ad-ministrations. It began in 1999 when the Clinton administration filed suit against then-Nevada Assemblyman John Carpenter, one of the leaders of a “Shovel Brigade.”

They had vowed to rebuild a washed out road near threatened fish habitat along the Jarbidge River in defiance of the government. Carpenter and one of his lawyers, Grant Gerber, have since

died.The county claimed it owned the road under

a Civil War-era law that granted state and local governments’ rights of way to existing roads in places where national forests and parks later were established.

The so-called “R.S. 2477 roads”, named af-ter the statue number, became a lightning rod for property rights advocates and anti-federal forces in the 1990s, with similar court battles in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon and New Mexico.

Like other cases, the federal government de-nied Elko County’s claim it owned the road before the Humboldt National Forest was established in 1909.

But the Nevada case is unique because, de-spite the government’s position, the Forest Service signed an agreement with the county in 2001 that said it wouldn’t challenge the county’s alleged right of way.

Conservationists cried foul, accusing the gov-ernment of kowtowing to protesters who paraded through downtown Elko with 10,000 shovels in protest and fostered a hostile, anti-federal environ-ment that eventually prompted local Forest Service supervisor Gloria Flora to resign.

They said the government had no authority to cede control of U.S. lands in violation of laws pro-tecting the threatened bull trout.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeal twice over-turned lower court rulings allowing the agreement to remain intact and the U.S. Supreme Court re-fused to hear Elko County’s appeal in 2008.

But the latest ruling by Judge Miranda Du a year after she made a similar ruling could finally be the end of the road for the Shovel Brigade.

Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt joined the county’s argument that the agreement was within the government’s authority under the U.S. Constitution to enter contracts to settle disputes.

But Du said the 9th Circuit has made it clear the government’s authority to settle litigation “stops at the walls of illegality.”

“Contrary to Elko County’s argument, the Department of Justice does not have authority to ignore federal law in settling quiet title actions against the United States,” she wrote. Alison Flint, a lawyer for The Wilderness Society, said the rul-ing is limited to technical legal issues related to Elko County’s specific claim. But “it stands for the important proposition that the United States cannot give away our public lands by recognizing a merit-less right of way claim through a settlement agree-ment,” she said.

“We hope this ruling will finally bring this longrunning case to an end.” Michael Freeman Attorney for Earthjustice

Bears are back from page 3

more than 500 black bears have now recolonized these areas. In addition to the demographics of the recovery the scientists studied the impacts of this loss and subsequent recovery on the genetic makeup of the population. Genetic analysis demonstrated that the population has indeed undergone an extirpation followed by a re-expansion. The re-colonizing bears originated from a source population in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains (refugia for bears during the last 100 years) and expanded in a west-to-east pattern back into the Great Basin.“

“This study represents a great partnership

between wildlife management and geneticists” said Jason Malaney, lead author of the genetic study.

“Wildlife managers deploy long-term field-surveys of black bears, collect tissue samples along the way,that are then used to better understand the complexities of re-colonization. This resuts in improved management outcomes.”

The authors of the study conclude that based on their results, black bears in the western Great Basin appear to currently maintain levels of connectivity between various mountain ranges that are sufficient to prevent genetic bottlenecks following recolonization. Further, black bears in the western Great Basin best represent a genetic metapopulation (a group of populations separated

but of the same species with individuals that interact with other populations). Finally, they note that as the human footprint expands over time in the region, this level of genetic connection among various mountain ranges may not last without conservation efforts to maintain connectivity.

”The recovery of large carnivores is relatively rare globally yet this is the goal of conservation” said WCS Conservation Scientist Jon Beckmann. “

Understanding the mode of recolonization and its genetic consequences is of broad interest in ecology and critical to successful conservation programs.”

South Canyon Road, Jarbidge, Nevada

18-year battle over U.S. forest road over?

Nevada Wild - Nevada Outdoor Wildlife News presents Bats of Southern Nevada at http://nevadawild.org/bat-week-bats-of-southern-nevada/

On the Radio listen to:

Hunters Sour On Trump’s Interior Secretary Over Public Lands Review - http://kunr.org/post/hunters-sour-trumps-interior-secretary-over-public-lands-review#stream/0

Composting for the soils of Nevada - https://knpr.org/knpr/2017-11/compost

MULTI MEDIA

CALENDAR .

Annual NDOW Awards Dinner, January 6, 12:00-6:00 PM, Clark County Shooting Complex

Wild Sheep Foundation Sheep Show, January 18 -20, Reno, Peppermill Resort Spa and Casino

Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) show, January 22 - 26, Las Vegas, Sands Expo Center, 9AM -5PM

Carson Valley Eagles and Agriculture, January 25 - 28, Carson Valley

Nevada Wildlife Federation quarterly meeting, February 10, 9:00 a.m. - noon, NDOW office Las Vegas