NVWF Blog

Washington, D.C. — Legislation unveiled by Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico and Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia lays out an innovative strategy to address the ongoing fragmentation of wildlife habitat from climate change and man-made barriers. The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act would create a national program for maintaining wildlife migrations, movements, and wildlife corridors to ensure that wildlife will face fewer struggles to reach food, water, shelter and breeding sites.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis. More than one-third of all species at-risk or vulnerable to potential extinction in the decades ahead and fragmented migration corridors are only accelerating this problem,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “It’s essential that as America grows and invests in roads, dams, bridges, housing developments and energy infrastructure that new barriers are minimized and mitigated to ensure that wildlife can still move across essential habitat. We’re thankful for Senator Udall and Representative Beyer’s leadership on this issue to protect and retain wildlife habitat while restoring and re-connecting critical wildlife corridors.”

What the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2018 does for wildlife

• Creates a Wildlife Corridors Program. This system will allow wildlife to migrate across public lands with the changing seasons, boost biodiversity in degraded ecosystems, and ensure species are better able to adapt to climate change by establishing a process to identify and maintain wildlife corridors on the nation’s public lands. This system is an important and long overdue investment in the long-term health of wildlife populations, and will benefit all species, from antelope to carnivores like the wolverine to insects like the monarch butterfly.
• Creates a Wildlife Movements Grant Program to fund important habitat connectivity projects on state, private and tribal lands. The projects will be identified by the Regional Wildlife Movement Councils and the funding will be administered by a National Coordinating Committee. This work could consist of habitat or fencing improvements to support deer and pronghorn migrations, or creating culverts (pathways under infrastructure) that allow turtles, amphibians or fish to cross barriers safely.
• Creates Regional Wildlife Movement Councils. These councils will develop regional plans that identify important areas on non-federal lands where key projects can improve wildlife movements. This will ensure habitat connectivity across the country is enhanced beyond public lands. 
• Creates a National Coordinating Committee. This committee will strengthen collaboration between the national system on public lands and the regional councils, which will oversee corridor efforts on state, private, and tribal lands.
• Creates a National Wildlife Corridor Database. This database that will include standardized, quality data, and will allow wildlife managers to make informed wildlife corridor decisions across the United States.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday detailed its plan to open nine million acres to drilling and mining by stripping away protections for the sage grouse, an imperiled ground-nesting bird that oil companies have long considered an obstacle to some of the richest deposits in the American West.

In one stroke, the action would open more land to drilling than any other step the administration has taken, environmental policy experts said. It drew immediate criticism from environmentalists while energy-industry representatives praised the move, saying that the earlier policy represented an overreach of federal authority.

“This is millions and millions of acres of Western land that stretch across the spine of this nation,” said Bobby McEnaney, an expert in Western land use at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group. “With this single action, the administration is saying: This landscape doesn’t matter. This species doesn’t matter. Oil and gas matter.”

Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, an association of independent oil and gas companies based in Denver, said in an email, “These plans will conserve the sage grouse without needlessly stifling economic activity.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a 7-part series of stories dedicated to the Northern Nevada Business Weekly’s content focus for October-November — the business of Travel & Tourism.

• Go here to read part one: What’s new for the 2018-19 ski season at Reno-Tahoe’s downhill resorts?
• Go here to read part three: Remote Rubies: Nevada’s only heli-ski operation one of longest-running in U.S.
• Go here to read part four: Lime bike destruction, e-scooter confusion overshadow successful ridership numbers in Reno-Sparks
• Go here to read part five: The ‘bleisure’ effect: Conventions, marketing and more contribute to Reno-Tahoe tourism growth

Look for parts 6-7 in the coming days at http://www.nnbusinessview.com, or check out the full series in the NNBV’s next monthly edition, publishing Oct. 29.

==========

LEARN MORE

Visit bit.ly/2HTsBlj to read the full draft language, meeting minutes and more from Washoe County about the Washoe County Economic Development and Conservation Act.

NORTHERN NEVADA NVOBC MEMBERS AS OF OCT. 19:

Tom Clark Solutions, Laughing Planet Café, Bubala Law, Coalition Snow, Desert Sky Adventures, Farmers Insurance, Home Means Nevada Co., Laxalt and McIver, Mesa Rim Climbing Centers, Silver Sage Center for Family Medicine, and Patagonia.

Visit getoutdoorsnevada.org/nvobc to learn more about the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition and how to become a member.

RENO, Nev. — With 58 million acres of public land — colored with snow-capped mountains, clear blue alpine lakes, rolling green forests and expansive white playas — Nevada is considered by many to be a sanctuary for outdoor recreation.

In fact, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, the rec industry is an economic powerhouse for the Silver State, spawning a growing number of jobs, consumer spending and tax revenue.

The numbers don’t lie. Nevada’s outdoor recreation industry generates 87,000 jobs — trailing only gaming and healthcare — and $12.6 billion annually in consumer spending, according to the OIA. That’s $2 billion more in economic output and nearly 50,000 more jobs than the Silver State’s mining industry.

Yet, despite being a big piece of the state’s economic backbone, Nevada’s outdoor recreation industry hasn’t had a distinct business voice — until now.

In late September, on National Public Lands Day, a group of Nevada businesses launched the newly formed Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition (NVOBC).

The group advocates for initiatives that improve Nevada’s outdoor recreation economy and protect public lands and waters that support the industry, said Meghan Wolf, environmental activism manager at Patagonia.

BLM seeks comment on proposed Robinson Mining Co. expansion

City National Bank to award up to $80K in literacy grants

Lance Gilman talks benefits, challenges of big tech’s growth in Northern Nevada

NV Energy Foundation doles out $30,000 in donations

“We really want to have a singular business voice advocating and informing about what outdoor recreation means to us,” Wolf, one of eight business representatives who serve on the NVOBC Executive Committee, told the NNBV. “From a Patagonia perspective, we’ve been in Reno since ’96 when we opened our global distribution center, and we’ve grown almost double-digits almost every year in the last two decades. And we think that’s attributed to this outdoor recreation economy — people wanting to go into these parks, wilderness areas and conservation areas.”

MORE PUBLIC ACCESS

There are plenty of those areas in vast Nevada. According to a 2016 report by TIME, nearly 85 percent of the state’s land is owned by the government. Simply put, no state in the U.S. has more public land.

“People can go out and hunt, fish, hike, camp without paying as many fees as you would in a state like Texas, for example, that’s predominantly private land — people have to pay to hunt there,” Wolf said. “There’s a growing population that wants this kind of access, and that’s supported our business. The outdoor recreation has grown and we’ve felt and benefited from that growth.”

Tim Healion, manager of The Laughing Planet Café in Midtown Reno (which is a member of the NVOBC), echoed Wolf’s sentiment. Immersed in Northern Nevada’s food industry for roughly 35 years, Healion said his restaurants are wildly popular with outdoor recreationists.

“We’re fast-casual, healthy food — outdoor people want healthy stuff,” Healion said. “I’ve been making money out of the outdoor group for a long time and acknowledged that.

“So if we got all of these people that are benefiting from it and sharing that economy, let’s organize, let’s get together, and have a shared voice about protecting our interests.”

NORTHERN NEVADA FACTOR

Zooming in on Northern Nevada, Wolf said Washoe and Douglas counties — “which continue to develop pretty rapidly” — are areas the coalition is focused on protecting and creating spaces for recreation.

After all, the greater Reno area’s access to the great outdoors is a reason why many people or businesses decide to stay or move to the region, she added. According to the OIA, 57 percent of Nevada residents participate in outdoor recreation each year. What’s more, Nevada residents are more likely to participate in day hiking and backpacking than the average American.

Wolf said the coalition is weighing in on a Washoe County public lands bill that would open up development on federal land in the Reno-Sparks region. The proposal, called the Washoe County Economic Development and Conservation Act, would sell off roughly 80,000 acres around the Truckee Meadows for development.

According to Washoe County, “the benefit of the bill is to help support and give options for sustained growth while also maintaining the lifestyle that draws and keeps so many people in our beautiful region.”

The NVOBC and fellow conservationists disagree. Of the 662,000 acres in question, the bill would designate 175,000 acres of wilderness and 83,000 acres of National Conservation Area. The remaining 400,000 acres of wilderness study area would be released back to the state — in other words, the land would no longer be protected, Wolf said.

“They felt that was a fair divide — we didn’t,” Wolf said. “There’s some beautiful areas up there that are kept intact. They view it as not really worth protecting, and we think it is.”

Wolf said the coalition sent a letter to the county commission and congressional delegations in opposition of the Washoe County lands bill.

“It’s not a very well developed plan right now,” Wolf added. “It’s not concrete enough to show how much money that would generate.”

EYING THE LEGISLATURE

As of mid-October, there were 24 businesses — ranging from outdoor adventure companies to an architecture firm — signed up as Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition members, including 11 from Northern Nevada.

The coalition hopes to have 100 businesses on board by the end of the year, according Healion said.

“Our intent is to have a bit of ‘ammo’ before the legislature gets in session next year (in the spring) so that we can go down there and lobby,” he said. “The earth is getting used, and it’s nice to have a place to go where you’re not looking at 7-Eleven or a housing development or a mine.

“And we need to protect it. There’s a lot more people that want to protect it than the guys with a lot of money that want to put a hole in the ground.”

Boone and Crockett Club: A Win for Big Game

by Sporting Classics Daily | Oct 25, 2018 | BIG GAME, HUNTING | 0 comments

MISSOULA, Mont. (October 24, 2018) – The Boone and Crockett Club, the name synonymous with big game hunting and conservation, today applauded Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s announcement that the lands western big game species depend upon as migration corridors will finally be getting much needed attention.  The Secretary announced that, through a public-private partnership, $2.7 million in grants will be dedicated to restoring and enhancing critical migration habitat in 11 Western states.  The partnership includes the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and ConocoPhillips.  The species directly benefiting from this action are the migrating herds of mule deer, elk and pronghorn antelope.

“This announcement is a giant step in the right direction toward the implementation of the Secretary’s Order 3362, which is a focus on migration corridors,” explained James L. Cummins, co-chairman of the Boone and Crockett Club’s Conservation Policy Committee. “Big game species do not pay any attention to lines on a map or who owns what or who manages what.  The best we can do for them is clear a path so they have unobstructed and safe access to the best habitats available to them.”

Grant funds will be used to restore habitat quality on degraded winter ranges, historic migration corridors and stopover areas while addressing issues such as restrictive fencing, dangerous highway crossings, and bottlenecks.  Funds will also be available for implementing other measures like conservation easements, and habitat fragmentation and connectivity.

“The other piece of good news is that this is a collaborative partnership of stakeholders,” Cummins explained.  “When you have the residing state and federal wildlife and land agencies, tribal agencies, highway departments, private landowners, conservation organizations, and industry joining forces, that’s when things get done.  We applaud Secretary Zinke and his fine staff, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and ConocoPhillips for putting this initiative together. Our nation’s wildlife will be the better for it.”  Those eligible for grant funding include, non-profit 501(c) organizations, U.S. Federal government agencies, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, and Indian tribes.

This article is from a few weeks back, but it explains what’s going on with the National Defense Authorization Bill or NDAA. Please read this article and then contact Senator Heller and Congressman Amodei’s office ASAP and let them know that we strongly oppose the “Sage Grouse Rider”. The NDAA is going to conference committee next week, where the differences between the House version and the Senate version of the bill will be worked out. Currently the Senate version does not have the Sage Grouse Rider but the house version does. Congressman Rob Bishop from Utah is pushing this amendment and we need to make sure it doesn’t make it into the final version of the NDAA. Our congressional representative need to know that Nevadan’s strongly oppose this blatant attempt to derail sage grouse habitat protection. Please reach out to your representative today!

DEFENSE

Prospects for sage grouse rider’s survival improve

Sage grouse policy has once again made it into the defense authorization bill thanks to House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah), but this year, his provision may have a shot at becoming law. That’s because of a notable absence: Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain. The Arizona Republican is a stickler for germane policy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. In 2015 and 2016, he helped foil Bishop’s sage grouse efforts during the conference process, panning them as unrelated to the military.

But as McCain continues treatment for brain cancer, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) will likely handle the defense bill on the Senate side. The longtime ally of the energy industry is likely to be more amenable to Bishop’s proposal. “If they’ve got it in there, we ought to be able to support that in conference,” Inhofe told E&E News last week.

Bishop, for his part, demurred when asked last week whether he thought he had better chances this year. “We’ll have to see what happens,” he said. After a pause, he added, “You obviously know why I think it could happen, but I can’t say why I think it could happen, so we’ll leave it at that.” Bishop’s amendment — added during the NDAA markup earlier this month — would bar the Fish and Wildlife Service from listing the greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act for 10 years and delist the American burying beetle, a critically endangered species.

It would also prevent FWS from listing another bird that roams Inhofe’s home state: the lesser prairie chicken. Inhofe — who has been leading the Armed Services Committee in McCain’s stead — said the prairie chicken language is “very important” to him. “This issue has been with us now for almost 10 years,” Inhofe said.  The issue is that federal sage grouse and lesser prairie chicken habitat managers can restrict military training ranges and airspace in vast swaths of the American West.

The problem would be worse, Bishop and other Western lawmakers say, if either species were to be listed under the ESA.  “We are dealing with this issue in a broad sense in our committee, but this amendment specifically goes to the 27 ranges and the 19 training areas that are in the western United States,” Bishop said at the NDAA markup.  Bishop says the Department of Defense supports his amendment, but Democrats cry foul, noting that DOD specifically said it did not need alterations to sage grouse policy last time Bishop brought the issue up (E&E Daily, April 27, 2016).

Opponents say it’s a handout to the oil and gas and mining industries, which have long sought flexibility to drill in sage grouse habitat, and sets bad precedents for endangered species policy. “They’ve always in the past tried to connect this to military training, and we’ve gotten letters from the Department of Defense saying that’s not true,” said Garett Reppenhagen, a former Army sniper and now Rocky Mountain director for the Vet Voice Foundation. “Anybody in the military will tell you that we’re going to adjust whatever we need to do to make sure that we can do our training.”

Environmental groups add that there is little justification for delisting the American burying beetle, which now occupies a fraction of its historical range. Either way, the language will face its first test when the NDAA hits the House floor this week.   A coalition of House Democrats — led by Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva of Arizona — has introduced an amendment to strike the provision, as well as language in the bill that would extend the Navy’s take permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

It’s not clear whether the GOP-controlled Rules Committee will allow the amendment to come up for a vote, though it will likely reject most of the more than 500 amendments that have been filed. The panel will meet this evening to debate the full bill and again tomorrow to decide which amendments are in order. In a statement of dissenting views, Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee wrote that Bishop’s provision could “jeopardize” the entire bill.

The language would “set a terrible precedent for the management of species in need of conservation by having Congress micro-manage specific species,” they wrote. The Senate Armed Services panel, meanwhile, will spend the week marking up its version of the bill in closed sessions, first in the subcommittees and then with the full panel.  There’s another potential enemy of Bishop’s language on that side of Capitol Hill. The Senate Armed Services ranking member, Sen. Jack Reed, is from Rhode Island — where the American burying beetle is the state insect.

Land withdrawals

Sage grouse isn’t the only Bishop-backed natural resources provision in the defense bill.  Another section of the NDAA would permit indefinite land withdrawals from the Interior Department for military installations with an integrated natural resources management plan, which requires the military to show its impacts on wildlife and habitat.  Federal law currently requires reviews of military leases every 25 years, including full environmental impact statements.

The language is nearly identical to a bill, H.R. 4299, that passed the Natural Resources Committee in November and was included in last year’s House NDAA before getting struck down in conference.  The military spends millions of dollars on environmental impact statements for withdrawals, and yet Interior has never rejected a renewal request, the Natural Resources Committee wrote in a memo on the bill last year.  Environmentalists, meanwhile, say renewing every 25 years is not much of a burden, especially because it promotes a public dialogue about how Interior manages its lands.

Of particular concern is a current proposal by the Air Force to expand training and testing in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. The service will have to complete an EIS and get congressional approval, but environmentalists fear the Bishop proposal could undermine that process.  “The process is working as intended, which is we’re having a public debate about whether that withdrawal is appropriate,” said Mark Salvo, vice president for landscape conservation at Defenders of Wildlife.