Date: 06/04/09
Contact: Kelly Clark
Phone: (775) 688-1555

WILDLIFE COMMISSION APPROVES OVER $630,000 IN HERITAGE TRUST FUND EXPENDITURES

By: Kelly Clark

During its May 15 meeting in Reno, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners approved more than $630,000 in expenditures from the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account for 27 projects that will benefit wildlife, wildlife habitat, and predator control.

The Heritage Trust Account is funded by sportsmen, either through auctions of big game and turkey tags, or from the Partnership in Wildlife drawing with revenue going to fund the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account.

The project list was recommended to the full Board of Wildlife Commissioners by the Heritage Committee, made up of members Pete Mori, of Tuscarora, Scott Raine, of Eureka, and Chairman Tom Cavin, of Carson City.

The list of funded projects includes:

• North Springs Valley habitat improvement and hazardous fuels reduction project*, submitted by NDOW, $7,500.
  
• Suzie Creek watershed habitat enhancement project*, submitted by NDOW, $7,500.
  
• Roberts Creek Mountain sage-grouse habitat enhancement*, submitted by NDOW, $5,206.
  
• China Camp sage-grouse habitat enhancement*, submitted by NDOW, $3,745.
  
• Shantytown mule deer winter range restoration project*, submitted by NDOW, $14,500.
  
• Mule deer chaining maintenance project*, submitted by NDOW, $6,250.
  
• Highway 93 row fencing removal, submitted by NDOW, $4,000.
  
• Giroux Wash big game water development project, submitted by NDOW, $12,000.
  
• Eureka Fish Creek water development, submitted by NDOW, $8,000.
  
• 2009-10 big game capture transplant & monitoring program, submitted by NDOW, $120,000.
  
• Sage grouse nesting survival wildlife management areas 6 & 7, submitted by Nevada Alliance 4 Wildlife (Pat Laughlin), $50,000.
  
• Survey and maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in Meadow Valley, Mormons, Arrows, Muddy, and Virgin Ranges submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo iberti), $5,495.
  
• Survey and maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in the Spotted, Pintwater, Desert and Sheep Ranges, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.
  
• Survey and Maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in the Las Vegas, Sheep, Delamar, Pahranagats and Hiko Ranges, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.
  
• Survey and Maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in the Last Chance, Devils, Spectre and Bare Ranges, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.
  
• McCullough/Highland Range guzzler tank replacement, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $9,200.
  
• Dixie Valley solar pump project, submitted by Pershing County Chukars Unlimited (Dan Hill), $7,085.
  
• Disease monitoring for the conservation of terrestrial big game species in Nevada, submitted by NDOW, $17,750.
  
• Monitoring use & effectiveness of US Highway 93 wildlife overpass, submitted by NDOW, $36,800.
  
• Wildlife water development fencing protection project, submitted by NDOW, $10,000.
  
• Mule Deer Enhancement, submitted by Hunter’s Alert, Inc. (Cecil Fredi), $50,000.
  
• Mule deer migration corridor fence modification project, submitted by NDOW, $7,500.
  
• Fish Creek partnership, submitted by Joe Saval Company, LLC (Elisabeth Pugh), $19,000.
  
• Increase mule deer fawn survival, attempt to increase fawn to doe ratios and overall mule deer herd, submitted by Nevada Alliance 4 Wildlife (Pat Laughlin), $113,200.
  
• Bighorn sheep population declines: the role of forage quality, disease and genetics, submitted by University of Nevada, Reno (David Thain), $28,500.
  
• Factors regulating wood ducks in Lahontan Valley, Nevada, submitted by Nevada Waterfowl Association (Chris Nicolai), $10,490.
  
• Wildfire impact mitigation and wildlife habitat restoration, submitted by NDOW, $61,173.

Items above marked with an asterisk reflect projects that received additional funding from Nevada Department of Wildlife from a combination of conservation fees, mining assessment fees, and Question 1 Bond Initiative funds, totaling $134,000.

“We saw that the Heritage Project proposals included many good habitat restoration projects this year, and that many would go unfunded. We determined we could help offset the costs of those projects that had a significant habitat improvement component,” said Dave Pulliam, NDOW Habitat Chief.

Heritage funds have traditionally supported big game capture, transplant, and monitoring projects, but this year was slightly different, funding only $120,000 of the $167,471 requested for big game capture and transplant, and $17,750 of the $37,750 requested by Game Chief Mark Atkinson for disease monitoring. Big game transplant efforts in the state have allowed reintroduction of bighorn sheep into historic ranges, augmentation of antelope herds, and removal of animals from problem areas like northern Elko County where wild fires have destroyed thousands of acres of winter range.

The Wildlife Heritage Trust Fund Account was established as a special funding source to protect, propagate, restore, transplant, introduce and manage game fish, game mammals and furbearing mammals, and for the management and control of predatory wildlife. Heritage funds have been raised and distributed since 1996, when the program was initiated.

Nevada Revised Statute 501.3575 provided guidelines for establishing the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account, and guides the administration of tag auctions, gifts and donations, and distribution of funds. Individual sportsmen’s groups raise Heritage Tag funds by auctioning 14 game tags that have been specially allocated to them for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, Rocky Mountain elk, desert bighorn sheep, California bighorn sheep, and wild turkey. The successful bidders may hunt statewide in any open unit during the hunting season.

Additional funds are also contributed to the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account through the Partnership in Wildlife (PIW) drawing, which occurs each year during the department’s main big game draw. An estimated 30-35 tags are allocated as PIW tags each year, and for an additional $10, those who were unsuccessful in the main draw get a second chance to apply for a very special statewide tag. Funds from PIW are also deposited into the Wildlife Heritage Trust account.

A detailed list of Heritage Project requests and approved projects can be found online at www.ndow.org under Commission, Heritage Committee.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.