Executive Order creating the Nevada Habitat Conservation Framework and Wildlife Connectivity Plan

CARSON CITY - Governor Sisolak signed the Sagebrush Conservation Executive Order. This measure is a step in the right direction concerning the conservation of migratory habitats in Nevada. The order outlines a number of ways NDOW will be able to manage and develop policies that protect our public spaces and the animals that roam through them.

This Executive Order:

• Takes bold steps to restore and conserve intact, accessible natural areas which are critical to maintaining Nevada’s recreation economy. Nevada’s outdoor economy fuels more than 87,000 jobs across the state, providing $4 billion in wages and salaries to Nevadans and draws in over $12.6 billion from outdoor recreation activities. • Strengthens and progresses ongoing work to identify and protect wildlife migration corridors and associated habitat, a vital component of the larger sagebrush ecosystem. • Strengthens NDOT’s role in habitat conservation, identifying opportunities to protect or restore sagebrush habitats and wildlife migration corridors in new or existing NDOT policies.

“Nevada’s wild landscapes provide the clear air, clean water and open space that are integral to a healthy economy and our way of life,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “Whether it is mule deer or desert tortoises no animal thrives without a healthy ecosystem, and this executive order puts a crucial focus on the corridors through which wildlife migrate to survive.”

“We thank the governor for signing this executive order and are excited for what it means for Nevada’s wildlife. This important step towards conservation provides the Nevada Department of Wildlife the resources to work with all stakeholders using the best available science to help conserve, restore, and rehabilitate our critical wildlife migration corridors and sagebrush ecosystem.” said Russell Kuhlman, with the Nevada Wildlife Federation.

“Nevada is home to some of the West’s longest and most magnificent wildlife migrations, many of which are imperiled,” said Matt Skroch, project director with The Pew Charitable Trusts. “We commend Governor Sisolak’s bold action to conserve these critical wildlife pathways and the sagebrush ecosystem that these animals depend on. This executive order will reverberate throughout the West as a strong example of how states can identify and conserve wildlife migration routes.”

Partners in this effort include: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Nevada Conservation League, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Nevada Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Federation, Western Resource Advocates, Trout Unlimited, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, and Institute for a Progressive Nevada.

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The Nevada Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)3 and is the oldest statewide conservation organization dedicated to sustaining Nevada’s natural resources for wildlife through conservation, preservation, and education.

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