Nevada - Communities at Risk

Gale Dupree is an avid hunter from Reno who has dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours to monitoring and tallying sage-grouse in Nevada.

Gale Dupree, an avid hunter, is concerned about the sage grouse and other wildlife species that call Nevada home. He wants to ensure the longevity of this and other species and to do so he is fighting for the protection of Nevada's wetlands-many of which are under attack by the Bush administration.

In 2000, Gale volunteered to join one of six local sage-grouse conservation planning teams under Governor Kenny Guinn's State Sage-Grouse Conservation Team. He was elected chairman of his planning unit, whose mission is to conserve and protect Nevada's sage-grouse and their habitat.

The sage-grouse is North America's largest and most spectacular grouse. While often thought of as a game bird, sage-grouse are also prized by birdwatchers and other wildlife lovers. Only forty years ago sage-grouse were abundant and hunters took them by the dozens. Today, the species has declined as much as 82 percent across its former range.¹

Gale Dupree is concerned that the population of sage-grouse is declining significantly in Nevada, mainly because of habitat loss and fragmentation. Maintaining and increasing sage-grouse and other wildlife populations can help sustain a way of life people have long taken for granted in Nevada - hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. These activities will only prosper if Nevada remains rich in abundant wildlife and wild open spaces.

Wildlife Need Wetlands and Clean Water
To survive in Nevada's arid climate, sage-grouse and many other species need wetlands, small streams, and other water sources to provide vital freshwater oases during part of the year, and places to forage or hunt during other parts of the year. Wetlands such as meadows and open grassy stream-sides are used by sage-grouse for essential food and water.

Hunting & other wildlife related activites are extremely important to the Nevada's economy. If wetlands and other bodies of water are left unprotected by the Bush administration, this sector of the economy will suffer from the decline in species such as deer and elk, and the potential extinction of the sage-grouse.

Already, Nevada has lost 52 percent of its original wetlands.² Even so, a recent Bush administration policy directive tells Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers staff that they can stop protecting important wetlands, streams and playas without first obtaining permission from headquarters. If the Bush administration decision is carried out, the Environmental Protection Agency can decide not to protect waters they consider "isolated" - a description that fits between 90 and 100 percent of Nevada's wetlands.³

Pollution Ruins Wildlife Habitat
A decision not to protect these waters is bad for wildlife and people. If the EPA and Corps of Engineers fail to assert Clean Water Act protections, mining companies could discharge toxic wastes into streams without even a permit, developers could fill wetlands, and sewage treatment plants could discharge waste without reporting it. Perhaps worst of all, there's no requirement that the government tell the public that they have stopped protecting these areas.

This directive could lead to an even more rapid decline and potentially the extinction of sage-grouse in Nevada-as well as the decline of many other wildlife species such as deer, elk and other birds that hunters and outdoor enthusiasts count as part of the Nevada way of life.

If these areas are left unprotected by the Bush administration, it will hurt the sector of Nevada's economy that caters to hunters, anglers, and outdoor activities. If habitat and wildlife disappear, so will the livelihoods of many Nevadans who depend on them for supplies and equipment, meals and lodging, and other amenities. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife report in 2001, consumer spending on fishing, hunting and wildlife watching of all kinds in Nevada contributed more than $680 million annually to our state's economy, and provided over $11 million in Nevada sales tax revenue. "Nevada's water resources are limited and fragile," says Gale Dupree. "The loss of springs would severely affect the ability of wildlife to survive. If you take away protections, then you allow springs and other water sources that wildlife depend on to be even more susceptible to pollution and overuse."

There is a better way. Protect Nevada's wetlands and wildlife by strengthening, not weakening, the Clean Water Act.

Lorna Weaver, Executive Director
Nevada Wildlife Federation
(775) 677-0927, 677-8951
weaver@gbis.com

A Western Way of Life in Jeopardy: Working to Save Wildlife