RAINS BOOSTS HOPE AMONG NEVADA BIGHORN WORKING GROUP

Rain!

The recent atmospheric riverbased storm systems that pounded California, have brought at the very least a slight reprieve for desert bighorn sheep and other wildlife in neighboring Nevada.

The recent downpours have taken many areas out of the highest level of “exceptional drought” to “extreme drought” and formerly “extreme drought” areas to “severe” based on the U.S. Drought Monitor models.

That was the buzz around the room at the Nevada Bighorn Working Group meeting at the 2023 Sheep Show® in Reno.

Talk of full guzzlers and more rain in a couple of weeks than has occurred in two years in some areas had members cautiously optimistic.

The caution was that rain can’t undo the damage done not only by drought but severe overgrazing by wild horses and burros.

The goal of the meeting was to get interested parties ranging from Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDW) officials to members of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn, and other interested parties up to date on conservation efforts.

The following were accomplishments for NDW for the fiscal year July 1, 2021- June 30, 2022.

• Constructed 10 new big game water developments and rebuilt or maintained four big game and two small game developments.

• Constructed spring protection or enhancement projects at three natural springs.

• Used extensive volunteer labor and support at 13 water development projects.

• Conducted inspections and performed minor to moderate maintenance on 376 big game water developments and 292 small water developments.

• Water hauls were used to supply water on 15 big game units. With much land dedicated to military facilities, Nevada has some unique situations including bombing ranges and their impact on wildlife and sporting opportunities.

The Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (passed Dec. 2022) authorized funding to implement the expansion of the Fallon Range and Training Complex. This includes the expansion of bombing ranges (B-16, B-17, B-19, and B-20) which includes live-fire training and restricted access.

Through cooperation with sporting groups, military officials have agreed to the following.

• Avoid target placement in biologically sensitive areas.

• No targets placed within Monte Cristo Protection Area.

• Removal of tracked ordinance landing outside target areas.

Other actions included but were not limited to these impacting sportsmen.

• Expansion of Dixie Valley

Training Area (no bombing, public access allowed).

• Required agreement to provide a minimum of 15 days of access each year to portions of B-17 for hunting

• Create a National Conservation Area in the Stillwater Mountains and develop a management plan, including the use of motor vehicles, hunting, and other recreation.

“There’s a lot going on with sheep and wildlife in Nevada. We know there will be some issues related to the long drought with desert sheep in the south but there are a lot of good people ready to do what we can to move forward with conservation and hopefully we will continue to get the much-needed moisture,” said Evan McQuirk, Director of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited.

Nevada is the driest state in the union.

That fact alone gives it special conservation challenges, yet it remains home to a robust population of not only desert bighorns, but also California and Rocky Mountain bighorns.

The meeting showed there are many willing to do the work to help keep wild sheep on the mountains in Nevada.

Whether they are in the scorching high desert of the south to the grassy mountain slopes of the northeast or along the Idaho and Oregon borders, hunter-conservationists are motivated to forward the cause of sheep conservation in the silver state. WS

IT JUST KEEPS HAPPENING.

Consistently Terminal