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Volume 15, Issue 2 Spring, 2011

Initial test shows quagga mussels in Lahontan, Rye PatchFollow up tests needed to ensure against false positivesNevada Department of Wildlife

There has been a preliminary discovery of quag-ga mussels, a damaging invasive species, in Lahontan and Rye Patch reservoirs in northern

Nevada found during routine quagga mussel sampling; however, follow up tests are needed to validate the re-sults.

Quagga mussels are an invasive mollusk that de-stroys native plants and animals, damages water infra-structure and harms native and sport fisheries, often resulting in millions of dollars of economic damage, among many other environmental problems.

“These are early preliminary tests,” said Ken Mayer, acting director for Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). “We need to run further tests to confirm this first discovery. As always, we urge boaters and other users of any Nevada water to clean, drain and dry all boats and equipment between every use.”

No other infestations have been discovered, but NDOW has sent teams of biologists to test other wa-terways across the state to make sure no other lakes are affected, a practice NDOW has done routinely since the first outbreak was discovered in Lake Mead. There is no reason to believe there are any other infected water-ways at this time. Even in the event of infestation, there

Invasive mussels found in northern lakes

by Bob Conrad/Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesPreliminary tests show that the invasive quagga mussel has been found in Lahontan Reservoir (pictured above) as well as Rye Patch Reservoir. These are the first known invasions of the mussel in northern Nevada.

is no way to determine the effects quagga mussels will have on any particular body of water. Quagga mussels are most often spread by trailers, boats and equipment that travel among waterways.

“We intend to keep the public informed about this troubling development and do whatever we can to stop

the spread of this very damaging species,” said Mayer.Quagga mussels were first discovered in Nevada

in 2007 in Lake Mead. Those who wish to learn more can visit the 100th Meridian Web site, a non-profit organization that tracks infestations, at http://www.100thmeridian.org.

Utah State University Cooperative Extension

Common Names: Desert peach, desert almondScientific Name: Prunus fasciculata (Torr.) GrayLife Span: PerennialOrigin: NativeSeason: DeciduousGrowth Characteristics: A widely-branched

shrub, growing up to 8 feet tall, with the average height being 3 feet tall. It grows in clumps and thickets along the rocky slopes of the southern Great Basin. Desert peach flowers from March to May. Reproduction is mainly vegetative, but can occur from seed also.

Flowers/Inflorescence: Tiny white/pink, flowers that grow from the leaf axils.

Fruits/Seeds: Gray-green, almond-like fruits that are about 1/3-inch long and covered with a dark brown,

fine hair. It generally resembles a small, fuzzy peach. A thin, dryish pulp surrounds a roughened stone-like seed.

Leaves: The small, somewhat narrow leaves are grouped in clusters and fascicled on short, lateral branchlets.

Stems: Branches are short, rigid, and sometimes spinescent. Gray bark.

Ecological Adaptations: Desert peach is adapt-ed to harsh, arid sites in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert, and is often found in the transitions from des-ert to oak woodland. It is not capable of withstanding the very arid and saline environment of the true desert. Typical sites include dry, warm foothills, dry stream-beds, mountain slopes, mesas, alluvial terraces and canyons. Most plants occur at elevations ranging from 5,000 to 6,500 feet.

Soils: Found on well-drained soils, most likely on soils that are coarse sandy, gravelly or rocky in texture and exhibit little profile development.

See desert peach on Page 2:

Desert peach adds splash of pink to high desert

by Lorna Weaver

2 Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011

Nevada WildlifePublished quarterly

by Nevada Wildlife Federation, Inc.

Editor: Lorna WeaverAssociate Editor: Gale DupreeIn this Issue:Invasive mussel found in northern lake 1Flora focus: Desert peach 1Bureau of Land Management roundup 2Nevada Division of Forestry Tree Nursery 3What to do with orphaned wildlife 3Deer fawns born with invisible scent 3Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park 3

Nevada Birding – North 4Nevada Birding – South 5Report: Birds on public lands 5Silver State Tags 6Fishing in southern Nevada 6Commission votes to reduce deer tags 6National Wildlife Federation looks back 7Rattlesnake avoidance training 7Walker Lake Education Day 8National Fish and Wildlife Foundation update 8

Nevada Wildlife Federation, Inc.P.O. Box 71238, Reno, NV 89570

phone (775) 677-0927Web site: www.nvwf.org

President: Robert GaudetDistrict 1 (Reno) Vice Pres.: vacantDistrict 2 (Elko) Vice Pres.: Jack PrierDistrict 3 (Las Vegas) Vice Pres.: Kevin CabbleSecretary: Vikki RiddleTreasurer: Anita WagnerNational Wildlife Federation (NWF) Representative: Robert GaudetAlternate NWF Rep: Kevin Cabble

Corporate SponsorsArt Source – RenoPatagonia – RenoSierra Trading Post – Reno, Cheyenne, WYHidden Valley Ranch – RenoMorris & Brown Architects, LTD – RenoPerry and Spann – RenoNV Energy – RenoWal-Mart Stores – RenoSafari Club International – Northern Nevada ChapterPeppermill Resort Spa Casino – RenoAtlantis Casino Resort Spa – RenoGrand Sierra Resort – Reno Harvey’s/Harrah’s Casino Hotels – Stateline

AffiliatesNational Wildlife Federation – NationAnimal Ark – RenoCanvasback Gun Club – RenoCarson Valley Chukar Club – GardnervilleCarson Fly Fishing Club – Carson CityElko County Conservation Association – ElkoFriends of Nevada Wilderness – RenoGreat Basin Chapter Trout Unlimited – BakerLas Vegas Archers – Las VegasMotorcycle Racing Assoc. of Nevada – Las VegasNatural Resource Education Council – Carson CityNevada Bighorns Unlimited – RenoNevada Bowhunters Association – ElkoNevada Section Society for Range ManagementNorthern Nevada Outdoors – WinnemuccaOrmsby Sportman’s Association – Carson CitySilver Arrow Bowman – RenoSpring Mt. Volunteer Association – Las VegasTruckee River Flyfishers – RenoTruckee River Yacht Club – RenoWalker Lake Working Group – Hawthorne

bureau of Land management

Join Nevada Wildlife Federation today!Your membership dues fund wildlife

conservation and education programs in Nevada.

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Other gifts are a baseball hat with the federation’s logo and several books to choose from. New books are: Hiking Grand Canyon National Park, Living with Wildlife, Basic Essentials Fly Fishing, Death Valley National Park, Pocket Guide – Nevada Birds and Pocket Guide – Nevada Trees and Wildflowers.

Other books include: This Land – A Guide to Western National Forests; Birds of Prey; Rocks and Minerals of California; Nevada Wildlife Viewing Guide; Black Rock Desert; Hiking Nevada; Rockhounding Nevada; Hiking Great Basin National Park; Best Easy Day Hikes Norther Sierra; Best Easy Day Hikes Death Valley; The Sierra Nevada Wildlife Region; Tahoe Wildflowers; Fly Fishing: Basic Essentials. Also avail-able is Beyond Fair Chase and Inherit the Hunt, which con-tain stories on the tradition of hunting by Jim Posewitz. Please circle your choice of book.

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Bureau of Land Management

BLM selects representative from Las Vegas for National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

The Bureau of Land Management made selec-tions in May for three positions on the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. BLM selected Julie Gleason as a new appointee for the category of Public Interest (with knowledge of equine behavior); Robert Bray, Ph.D., as a new appointee for the category of Wild Horse and Burro Research; and James Stephenson as a new appointee for the category of Natural Resource Management. These individuals will each serve three-year terms as members of the Advisory Board.

Julie Gleason has served as wild horse and burro representative to the Resource Advisory Council (RAC) for the Mojave Southern Great Basin for the past five years. During that time, she worked with BLM’s Las Vegas Field Office to secure funding for the develop-ment of a virtual adoption program, Mustang Makeover events, and trainer incentive programs. Prior to join-ing the RAC, Gleason was a member and chair of the Nevada Wild Horse Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses. While with the commission she helped develop the Wild Horse Inmate Training facility in Carson City, Nevada.

Robert Bray is Professor Emeritus of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at California State Polytechnic University. Dr. Bray, who lives in Woodstock, Va., con-ducted research and outreach/extension education pro-grams with wild mustang herds for 15 years while a professor.

James Stephenson has been a big game biologist with the Yakima Nation in south-central Washington for the past eight years. Besides managing big game populations, Stephenson is responsible for overseeing the reservation’s wild horse herd. In that capacity, he wrote a comprehensive plan for wild horse manage-ment on the reservation.

The nine-member National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board advises the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service on the management, protection, and control of

wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands and national forests administered by those agencies, as mandated by the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

BLM extends deadlines for proposals to establish public-private wild horse ecosanctuaries

The Bureau of Land Management is extending from May 14 to June 7 the deadline for submitting pro-posals for public-private partnerships to establish wild horse “ecosanctuaries” on private or other non-BLM managed land. The deadline for a second set of propos-als – relating to ecosanctuaries that would be on a mix of private and BLM-managed land – has been extended from May 24 to June 21. The ecosanctuaries, to be pub-licly accessible with a potential for ecotourism, would help the BLM feed and care for excess wild horses that have been removed from western public rangelands.

The notice of the first solicitation for proposals can be found at www.grants.gov under opportunity num-ber L11AS00033. The notice for the second solicitation can be found at the same Web site under opportunity number L11AS00043.

BLM issues a decision for transmission line projectEly, Nev. –The Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) has approved NV Energy’s application to con-struct and operate a 500-kilovolt transmission line link-ing the power grids in northern and southern Nevada. The One Nevada Transmission Line (ON Line) project will extend approximately 236 miles from the Harry Allen substation, north of Las Vegas to a substation to be constructed west of Ely, Nev.

The power line will link transmission facilities in northern and southern Nevada, and facilitate the devel-opment of renewable energy generation in east-central Nevada.

“This power line will be the backbone of the in-frastructure necessary to make Nevada a leader in re-newable energy generation,” said Rosemary Thomas, BLM Ely District Manager, who signed the Record of Decision (ROD).

Desert peach from Page 1:Associated Species: Douglas rabbitbrush, green

ephedra, desert gooseberry, spineless horsebrush, needlegrasses and Indian ricegrass.

Uses and Management: Desert peach is probably a seasonally important forage species on the dry ranges where it grows. Although plants are not highly produc-tive, the foliage is moderately palatable. Leaf clusters are generally easily accessible due to the low, open growth habit characteristic of most plants. Livestock consume

the foliage primarily in the spring and immediately af-ter rainy periods. It is moderately palatable to sheep and goats during intervals of increased moisture.

Desert peach is useful for revegetating roadsides be-cause of the ornamental value of its abundant, pale pink to rose-colored flowers, which typically appear much earlier than those of most associated shrub species.

The Pauites made a medicinal tea from the leaves and twigs of this shrub that was used to treat colds and rheumatism.

Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011 3

Nevada Forestry sells plants to landowners for conservationby Bob ConradNevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The Nevada Division of Forestry State Tree Nursery in Washoe Valley opened for the season May 12, 2011. The nursery is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday until Oct.15, 2011.

The nursery is designed to assist landowners by providing plant material suitable for conservation uses such as, but not limited to, windbreaks, soil ero-sion control, water conservation and wildlife habitats.

The plants are all grown and maintained at the nursery and are conditioned to survive northern Nevada’s cold winters and hot summers.

Plants will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For a list of avail-able species, call the nursery at (775) 849-0213, or for the nursery policy and plant list, visit http://www.forestry.nv.gov. Most species are available in D-pots for $2.25 and T-pots for $3.50.

The nursery is located in Washoe Valley at 885 Eastlake Blvd.

Editor’s note: Nevada Wildlife Federation gets many calls about what to do with a lost or injured baby animal. So, we are taking this opportunity to explore ideas with help from a guest columnist.

I was thrilled when winter was over and the days started to get warmer, as I love the sun. It’s exciting to see the cycle of life as trees turn green, flowers bloom and new wildlife is born. This also is the time when Nevada Humane Society’s Animal Help Desk is flooded with calls regarding orphaned or injured baby birds and baby bunnies.

Sadly, because of budget cuts, Nevada Department of Wildlife no longer offers services to assist individuals with or-phaned wildlife. So, here are some tips.

If you find a baby bird or baby bun-ny, determine is if the animal is truly in need of help or if should be left alone or placed back into its nest. Is the baby ani-mal bleeding, shivering, vomiting or was it attacked by another animal?

If the answer is no, try to locate and place the baby back inside the nest and watch for the mother to see if she returns. You need to stay completely out of sight; mothers won’t return if people or pets are

present. Keep in mind that mothers might be away for hours at a time but usually return at dawn and dusk.

A baby bunny that is about 4 to 5 inches long, able to hop, with eyes open and ears up, does not need help. They are able to survive on their own and should be left alone.

If you find a baby bird, look to see if the bird is feathered. If it is, then it’s a fledgling, and it is normal behavior for them to be hopping on the ground while the parents still feed them. If the bird is not feathered yet, it is most likely a nest-ling and will require some help. Again, the best thing is to find the nest.

If you cannot locate the nest, make a substitute one by poking holes in the bottom of a margarine tub, line with dry grass or pine needles, and hang from original or nearby tree. The parents will hear their young and find them.

Remember: A baby bird’s or rabbit’s best chance for survival is its parents.

Contact the Humane Society at ani-malhelp@nevadahumanesociety.org or (775) 856-2000, Ext. 200.

Diane Blankenburg is development director for the Nevada Humane Society.

Even if it’s a twin or one of triplets, a newborn deer spends a lot of time alone. Yet it’s remarkably safe for such a feeble creature. That’s because a fawn is all but invisible to foes. A wolf or bobcat can neither see the fawn nor smell it.

Minutes after its birth a fawn will climb to its feet and start suckling. It will be a week or so before the fawn can keep up with its mother. So when a doe ven-tures off to feed, it leaves its offspring behind.

And when there are twins or triplets, the doe keeps them in different places,

which decreases the likelihood of them all being eaten.

But it takes a bit of luck to find a newborn fawn. With white spots on a reddish-brown coat, a fawn is indistin-guishable from the sun-dappled forest floor where it waits for its mother.

Also, a fawn is scentless – it has no discernable odor – for the first several days of its life. A predator would have to stumble upon the fawn just to know it’s there.

Reprinted with permission from www.enature.com.

What to do with orphaned wildlife

Deer fawns born with invisible scent

Nevada Division of State Parks

The Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park was first established in 1957 to protect and display North America’s most abun-dant concentration and largest known Ichthyosaur fossils (more than 50 feet long). (An Ichthyosaur is a prehistoric marine reptile.) The park also preserves the turn-of-the-20th century mining town of Berlin as well as Diana Mine.

The park is located 23 miles east of Gabbs, via State Route 844. The park is open all year but extreme winter weather may prohibit travel. Nestled at 7,000 feet on the scenic western slope of central Nevada’s Shoshone mountain range, the park provides a vast array of stimulating recreational opportunities. The forested slopes provide shade and breezes that help to moderate the summer tempera-tures, which seldom exceed 90 degrees F. Late spring and early fall can often be the nicest times of the year. Winter visits to the park are possible, but be certain to call for weather and road conditions.

Today, Berlin stands as a true Nevada ghost town, preserved for present and fu-ture generations. Visitors are invited to walk through the old townsite, read the numerous descriptive signs, peer into the windows and imagine life during this colorful period of Nevada’s past.

Take a self-guided tour of the Berlin town site. Viewing windows and infor-mation are available at the Fossil Shelter if you cannot attend a Fossil Shelter tour.

Amenities: Camping, group camp-ing, RV sanitation station, picnicking, visitor center, trails, historic site, nature study.

Trails and Markers: An extensive sign system tells of the history and fea-tures of Berlin and Union for self-guid-ed exploration. A nature trail connects the campground to the Fossil Shelter. Information and viewing windows are available at the Fossils Shelter if you can-not attend a tour program.

Entrance fee: An entrance fee is accepted in cash or check only. Fees are also charged for camping, tours, group reservations and commercial photogra-phy.

Camping: 14 well-spaced units, some suitable for RVs up to 25 ft long, with fire ring, barbecue grill, covered table, drinking water (mid-April to October), and restrooms nearby.

Picnicking: Day-use picnic area with tables, grills, drinking water and restrooms near Fossil Shelter.

Fossil Shelter Tour: 40 minutes: Memorial Day to Labor Day: Daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. with a noon tour added

by Lorna WeaverA Dodge Brothers pickup and remnants of a mill building are among the remains of historic Berlin, Nev. The ghost town is one of the attractions within Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, near Gabbs, Nev.

on Sat. and Sun. From the third Saturday in March to Memorial Day and Labor Day to the second Sunday in November: Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Call or fax: Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, HC 61 Box 61200, Austin, NV 89310, (775) 964-2440, fax (775) 964-2012, Berlinich@netzero.com, Web site: www.parks.nv.gov.

wiLd pLaces

Park offers ghost town, fossils

4 Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011nevada birding

by Linda Hiller

Greetings birders! As I write this, its mid-April and the strong afternoon wind is causing our big sunflower feeder to buck so hard the Cassin’s finches look like rodeo cowboys as they struggle to stay on! Check out the pics below (female on the left), see if you have them in your yard too.

The snow is still covering most of the mountains west of our yard, but the white-crowned sparrows (right) at the ground feeder are enthusiastically eat-ing and singing, raising their activity to a crescendo before they head to higher altitudes to court and nest.

Even though it’s a month since the first day of spring, we’re all still wait-ing … humans, plants and wildlife alike! Welcome to northern Nevada.

Here in Jacks Valley we’ve been blessed with cedar waxwings every morning for a week. They love all our plants with berries, and especially the pond and waterfall. Waxwings are a hy-drophilic species … they looooove water. American robins are too, and they’ve been snapping up the golden raisins I put on the deck railing in the morning.

The California quail (right) are starting to ap-pear in pairs more now. We failed to take down a nest box from the house that rock doves used last year, so they’re in it again, mak-ing that loud HOOOOT that scared our indoor cats last spring. We’ll wait un-til they fledge their chicks before taking the nest shelf down. I had intended it for robins, but you snooze, you lose, robins! Did you know pigeons feed their young actual pigeon milk? Are they an avian link to mam-mals?

If you took my Beginning Bird Identification class last spring, those “secret” birds are back and may have a chick! Go check it out. I saw spotted to-whees on the desert trail from my house today, walking with my dog Misty. There was a calling Bewick’s wren out there, too, and a turkey vulture and red-tailed hawk, both soaring overhead.

We have yet to see our first early-bird Bullock’s oriole (above), but want to remind everyone of our favorite “new” feeder, the grape jelly feeder, the OrioleFest (right). At the first sign of a bright orange and black oriole in the yard, we race to put ours out and the orioles, robins, and finches feast from it until the red hot pokers (right) and other flowers bloom. If you don’t have pokers, get some now! They are gorgeous and a staple for the orioles and hummingbirds.

Everyone asks when to put out hummingbird feeders. I always say it depends on

where you live. Generally, June is a good bet, but keep your eyes open for those little jewels to visit your yard, and if you see one, put your feeder up! NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS:

Cleo in Fish Springs lives on a hilltop and always sees great birds. They own a very tall antenna that has had eagles perched on it, and she wrote this to me: “I have a very unrare Northern Flicker on my metal roof making noise as I type ... Silly bird.”

Pat from Stagecoach sent a poignant description of birding that I have to pass on, she wrote: “I found a really beautiful, positively breath-taking description of birds in a novel (‘A Soldier of the Great War’) … the protagonist is asked why he doesn’t use a field guide to study birds, and he answers:

“I was uninterested in what you know about them from books. I admired the extraordinary qualities that are obvious and apparent – that they are able to wheel in the blue and float among the clouds, and yet they always choose to return to earth, to nests of straw on spattered beams under the eaves of barns and churches; that, despite what they have seen, they are silent, except for singing; that though they are the em-blem of freedom, they have families; that they possess unimaginable power and en-durance, and yet they sleep serenely and are, for the most part, as gentle as saints.”

Sigh, thanks Pat. Niki in Lemmon Valley has seen

what she thinks might be an osprey and she still has dark-eyed juncos in her yard. She also had some birds follow her up around Mt. Rose and she sent pics. These are mountain chickadees (left), the “cheese-burger bird,” so named for their forest call … “cheese burger, cheese burger.” Makes everyone hungry!

JoAnne from Washoe Valley wrote a newspaper article last month on how to discourage birds like sapsuckers from harm-ing trees. She had some great suggestions, but one of them was to use Tanglefoot, an extremely sticky goo generally used to cre-ate a barrier against insects. I wrote to her and explained the horror of birds coming in

contact with this substance, of getting it on their feathers and then their beaks and nostrils as they try to clean it off, usually causing the bird to suffocate or starve to death. She kindly made the correction in her next column, and then joined our birding e-list, so we’re lucky to have her. Think about what you put in your yard as you are getting ready for the growing season … if it is harmful for the birds, do something different! JoAnne is an avid birder who sees tundra swans and white-fronted geese in her neck of the woods.

Melanie from Minden asked when is the best time to stop feeding the birds, given the costs of year-round feeding. I told her many people choose to stop feeding in summer and fall and concentrate on winter and spring, the times the birds are most in need of a boost. If you plant for birds, you may even find they spend less time at your feeders and more time eating your natural food and help-ing you with insect control.

Birding opportuni-ties. There are birding field trips coming up through Lahontan Audubon Society (http://www.nevadaaudubon.org/) in Reno, especially in spring. They are free and ed-ucational.

Good birding, all, may your world be full of birds! Linda Hiller, 3530 Green Acres Drive, Carson City, NV, 89705, greenacres23@charter.net (775) 267-3580 home; (775) 781-4916 mo-bile phone.

Birds herald spring –North

Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011 5

U.S. Department of the Interior

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman re-leased on May 3 the “2011 State of the Birds Report,” the nation’s first as-sessment of birds on lands and waters owned by the American people.

The findings indicate tremendous potential for bird conservation: These publicly owned habitats support at least half of the entire U.S. distributions of more than 300 bird species.

The report concludes that America’s public lands and waters, ranging from national wildlife refuges to national parks to national forests, offer signifi-cant opportunities to halt or reverse the decline of many species. More than 1,000 bird species inhabit the United States, 251 of which are federally threatened, endangered, or of conser-vation concern. The report provides a scientific tool to help public agencies identify the most significant conserva-tion opportunities in each habitat.

“The ‘State of the Birds Report’ is a measurable indicator of how well we are fulfilling our shared role as stew-ards of our nation’s public lands and wa-ters,” Salazar said. “Although we have made enormous progress in conserving habitat on public lands, we clearly have much more work to do.

The good news is that because birds so extensively use public lands and wa-ters as habitat, effective management and conservation efforts can make a signifi-cant difference in whether these species recover or slide towards extinction.”

“The ‘2011 State of the Birds Report’ reflects significant achieve-ment by public agencies and all of our long-standing partners in improving bird habitats,” said Harris Sherman, Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. “The USDA programs are innovative and creative. Over the last two years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has played a critical role in working cooperatively with landowners to conserve migratory birds in the Gulf of Mexico, sage grouse in the great plains, and others. The Forest Service has developed a draft Forest Planning rule that will ensure our National Forests support birds and other wildlife for decades to come.”

The report assessed the distribution of birds on nearly 850 million acres of public land and 3.5 million square miles of ocean. It relied on high-perfor-mance computing techniques to gen-erate detailed bird distribution maps based on citizen-science data reported to eBird and information from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Protected Areas Database of the United States.

The report highlighted the wide variety of bird habitats on public lands. These include:

Arid lands: More than half of U.S. arid lands are publicly owned. Thirty-nine percent of arid land bird species are of conservation concern and more than 75 percent of species are declin-ing.

Oceans and coasts: All U.S. ma-rine waters are publicly owned and are home to 86 ocean bird species and 173 coastal species. At least 39 percent of U.S. bird species restricted to ocean habitats are declining and almost half are of conservation concern, indicating severe stress in these ecosystems.

Forests: Public lands include some of the largest unfragmented blocks of forest, which are crucial for the long-term health of many bird species, in-cluding the endangered Kirtland’s war-bler, which has 97 percent of its U.S. distribution on public lands.

Arctic and alpine: Ninety percent of boreal forest, alpine, and arctic breed-ing bird species in Alaska rely on public lands for habitat, including 34 breeding shorebird species of high conservation concern. There are more public lands in Alaska than in the rest of the U.S. com-bined, offering huge potential to man-age lands for conservation.

Islands: More birds are in danger of extinction in Hawaii than anywhere else in the United States. Public lands in Hawaii support 73 percent of the distribution of declining forest birds. Among declining Hawaiian forest birds on Kauai, about 78 percent rely on state land. Four endangered species in the northwest Hawaiian Islands are entirely dependent on federal lands.

Wetlands: Wetlands protection has provided the “gold standard” for bird conservation. On the whole, 39 species of hunted waterfowl have increased by more than 100 percent during the past 40 years as nearly 30 million acres of wetlands have been acquired and man-agement practices have restored bird populations.

Grasslands: Grassland birds are among our nation’s fastest declin-ing species, yet only a small amount – 13 percent – of grassland is publicly owned and managed primarily for con-servation. Forty-eight percent of grass-land-breeding bird species are of con-servation concern, including four with endangered populations.

The “2011 State of the Birds Report” is a collaborative effort as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, involving federal and state wildlife agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations. These in-clude American Bird Conservancy, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Bureau of Land Management, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Department of Defense, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. The full report is at www.stateofthebirds.org.

Report shows public lands and waters crucial to birdsOne in four birds species on public land in peril

... and Southby Margie KleinNevada Department of Wildlife

Warming temperatures usually draw people outside in the hope of finding some color in what has been a dreary winter landscape. People also can be seen walking through local garden centers as they look over recent deliveries of plants displaying colorful blooms, but you don’t have to plant flowers to reap the benefits of springtime “color therapy.”

“Instead of looking down into the garden, look up and you’ll see color bursts flying by to lift your mood. They are colorful songbirds returning from their winter homes in warmer climes to the south,” said Cris Tomlinson, supervising non-game biologist for Nevada Department of Wildlife.

Songbirds are very active in the spring as they search for food and nesting mate-rials. Some will stop and build nests in the Las Vegas area; others will just be passing through; but most all of them will leave you with a song or a glimpse of their color-ation. Some of the more flashy birds that you may see in southern Nevada include:

Western Tanager (right) – Tanagers are known for flamboyant appearances, and the male wears a coat of many colors – black, yellow and red. At 7 inches tall this is another fairly large bird and may be seen at higher elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. Its cousin, the Summer Tanager, is one of the only birds that is entirely red and can be found in the Red Rock area at Pine Creek and Wheeler Camp Spring.

Vermilion Flycatcher (below) – Like a red Christmas ornament shining against a green tree, the 6-inch high ver-milion flycatcher cannot simply be called red. There is a reason it is called vermil-ion. They can be seen around gardens, agricultural areas and parks where they look for insect meals. Some areas where they have been observed are Bunkerville and the upper Muddy River at the Warm Springs Natural Area.

Bullock’s Oriole – At about 8 inches in height with a melodic song, this bril-liant yellow or orange bird will definitely get your attention appearing as a huge dollop of brightness at the top of a tree. These orioles are usually looking for sug-ary items like fruit as they migrate.

Hooded Oriole – The hooded oriole is another bird that will grab your atten-tion. Topping off the male’s golden or-ange body is an orange hood on its head. Slightly smaller and more quiet than the Bullock’s Oriole, both the male and female are a striking sight in older trees, espe-cially cottonwoods.

American Goldfinch – At first glance you might think this bird is a wild canary, but it’s actually the male American goldfinch that can punctuate branches in stac-cato notes of striking yellow. Larger than the lesser goldfinch, this bird loves to hang upside down on thistle seed feeders.

House Finch – The male house finch has a smaller bit of red on the head and chest that grabs the eye. Although not as red as the vermilion flycatcher, it still stands out against the pale background of early spring. This finch has a very melodic song with a steady increasing tempo often ending with a distinct downward trend. At just 5 inches high, this is another small bird and is common in residential yards.

Verdin – This small brown bird has a brilliant yellow face and a red or rufous shoulder that may or may not be visible, depending on your angle. The verdin is a com-mon warbler in the Mojave Desert and has grown accustomed to urban environments.

Hummingbirds – Many male hummingbirds provide just a blotch of intense color, with iridescent crowns that vary from red to purple. Fortunately, you may see more than one at one time, and they are usually sighted around bright-colored flow-ers so the experience is further intensified. Local colorful species include Anna’s, Costa’s and Black-chinned hummingbirds.

Though these birds can often be seen in an urban yard, it sometimes pays to get out and explore other areas. Good places to find these birds in Las Vegas include Sunset, Lorenzi and Floyd Lamb parks. Areas outside of town, but still close, include Corn Creek (Desert National Wildlife Refuge) and Red Rock (check out Pine Creek and Wheeler Camp Spring). The best time to view birds is through May. If there’s one thing we should do in spring, it’s to open our eyes and catch the blinking bursts of color that appear against the muted desert palette.

photos by Bigstockphoto.com

6 Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011

Hunting and fisHing

Nevada Department of Wildlife

Some sportsmen and women are already calling it the hunt opportunity of a lifetime, but what really has people talking is the fact that Nevada’s new Silver State Tag is available to the average sportsman at a price that won’t break the bank.

The Silver State Tag is similar to the state’s Heritage Tags, sometimes called governors tags or bid tags, and will provide lucky recipients with the opportunity to hunt a specific big game animal statewide in those hunt units where there is an established season for the species speci-fied on the tag. But unlike the Heritage Tags which gener-ally sell at auction for thousands, Silver State Tags will be available through Nevada’s normal tag application pro-cess at a far lesser price.

For 2011, Silver State Tags are available for mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk and pronghorn antelope. Tag applicants can expect to pay a nonrefundable application fee of $20 plus the $3 predator-control and $2 online-convenience fee, which bring the total to $25 for mule deer and pronghorn antelope. An additional $5 is required for the elk application. Tag recipients will be charged the current fees established for the tag received. Applications may only be submitted electronically at www.huntne-vada.com.

In addition to expanded choice of hunt location, tag holders also will have an extended season in which to harvest their game animal. Silver State Tag bearers can begin hunting the Saturday prior to the opening of the earliest season for the species noted on their tag and con-

tinue hunting until they fill their tag or the season ends, whichever comes first. Silver State seasons for mule deer and elk will end Dec. 31 and pronghorn antelope Oct. 31. Tag holders also can use their legal firearm of choice throughout the season’s duration – bow, muzzleloader or rifle.

The Silver State Tag draw is open to both resident and nonresident hunters who are eligible to hunt big game, even those who are fulfilling waiting period requirements for the species available. However, if an applicant is in a waiting period, he is only eligible to apply for the Silver State Tag for that species. If he is not in a waiting period, an applicant could apply for a Silver State Tag, a regular big game tag and a Partnership in Wildlife tag all in the same year. But once an applicant is awarded a tag his ap-plication will not be considered in subsequent drawings for the same species in that year. With the exception of tags for certain depredation hunts, a hunter may obtain only one tag per species per year.

As for bonus points, they are not considered nor awarded in the Silver State Tag draw. Applicants who re-ceive a Silver State Tag will retain their bonus points for that species.

Like the money generated through the sale of Heritage Tags, Nevada law requires that Silver State tag application fees be deposited in the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account. Funds from this account must be used for the protection, propagation, restoration, transplantation, introduction and management of Nevada’s game spe-cies and fur-bearing mammals as well as management of predatory wildlife.

Nevada Department of Wildlife

Despite excellent game surveys, good precipitation and increasing populations of deer, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commission voted to reduce the allocation of mule deer buck tags statewide at its May 14 meeting in Reno.

Against the recommendations of Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) big game biologists, the Commission reduced mule deer buck tags in all but five unit areas, cutting staff recommendations by 25 percent, and reducing mule deer buck tags in five spe-cific hunting units by cutting staff recommendations by 10 percent. The Commission accepted staff recommen-dations for youth tags.

With these reductions, 11,536 mule deer buck tags were allocated statewide for 2011, compared to the 14,910 recommended by staff, a reduction of more than 22 per-cent from staff recommendations. The Commission-ap-proved 2011 tag quotas are almost 15 percent less than the 2010 levels.

Under the guidance of NDOW Acting Director Ken Mayer, increasing Nevada’s mule deer herd with habitat restoration and improvement programs has been a pri-ority for the agency.

“Based on increased population numbers, herd con-dition and exceptional moisture levels in much of the state, the NDOW big game biologists recommended an increase in 2011 quotas,” said Mayer. “However, the Commission chose to ignore the scientific data present-ed by staff and reduced tag numbers, which creates a significant loss of opportunity for deer hunters.”

Calls from Nevada Wildlife to Commission Chair Scott Rein for comments why the commission chose to reduce the number of tags were not returned at press time.

In addition to being contrary to staff recommenda-tions, the cuts are also divergent from the recommenda-tions of the state’s County Advisory Boards to Manage Wildlife. These boards are officially tasked to gather information and opinions from area sportsmen, then advise the Wildlife Commission about how to manage

wildlife and recommend seasons and limits for their counties.

In 2011, Nevada witnessed a modest increase in the statewide mule deer population estimate for the second year in a row.

Biologists are optimistic that good body condition, low winter mortality and mild winter conditions in most areas contributed to increased production in the spring of 2011.

“Biologists and staff experts put a great deal of effort into the scientific survey work that is the ba-sis for their tag quota recommendations,” explained Larry Gilbertson, Game Division Chief for NDOW. “Disregarding these recommendations negates all of the hard work and dedication of Game Division employees, with our sportsmen coming out as the biggest losers.”

The Commission also made significant changes to the recommended big game season structure at its meeting in February.

For other big game tags, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners approved NDOW recommen-dations with little changes. The Commission allocated 8,082 tags for all other big game statewide, represent-ing a 21 percent overall increase in non mule deer big game.

Rocky Mountain Elk are thriving. Due to record elk survey samples in some areas, population increased ac-cordingly. The 2011 statewide adult elk population es-timate increased to 13,500 elk compared to 12,300 last year. The Commission approved an 11 percent increase in bull elk rifle tags, with 1,027 tags, 101 more than last year, and a 58 percent increase in cow elk rifle tags.

Many other big game species saw increases in tag quotas as well. The only other species with a decline in tags was the mountain goat, due to a disease event in the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range.

Antelope have fared exceptionally well in much of Nevada, and the Commission responded by approving 3,059 antelope tags, up 122 from last year.

The Resident Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep – Any Ram – Any Legal Weapon Hunt 3151 saw an increase to 199 tags, up 7 from last year.

Nevada Department of Wildlife

With high gas prices and other economic hard-ships taking their toll on household budgets, many families are changing their vacation plans and opt-ing for “staycations” rather than a lengthy road trip. Families looking to fill their staycation with out-door activities will find fishing to be an affordable alternative to the sometimes pricey activities avail-able in town, and they won’t have to travel far.

“Fishing really is a good recreation buy. It’s something an adult resident of Nevada can do for about 10 cents a day,” said Ivy Santee, angler edu-cation coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). “When you consider the liberal catch limits like those we have on Lake Mead and Lake Mohave it’s also a good way to supplement the grocery budget.”

Shore anglers will find good fishing from late spring through early summer as threadfin shad move into coves to spawn, especially in areas of the Boulder Basin. Striped bass follow the shad into shallower waters so anglers won’t need a boat to reach them.

At lakes Mead and Mohave, there is no limit on striped bass less than 20 inches in total length. For fish 20 inches in length or longer the limit is 20. Either way you look at it, this gives anglers an op-portunity to put filets on the table. Both lakes also offer 25-fish limits on catfish and the chance to reel in a few bluegill and green sunfish as well.

Other fishing opportunities can be found throughout the Silver State. Within a three-hour drive of Las Vegas, families will find good fishing at Eagle Valley and Echo Canyon reservoirs near Pioche and at the Kirch Wildlife Management Area north of Alamo. Eagle Valley and Echo Canyon are located within the Spring Valley and Echo Canyon state parks, so developed camping facilities are available close by. At the Kirch WMA, camping is primitive.

In town, anglers can take advantage of fishing opportunities at four local parks – Floyd Lamb Park, Lorenzi Park, Sunset Park and Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City. NDOW plants catfish on a monthly basis in the park ponds from April to about October each year. The agency plants rainbow trout in the cooler months. The limit at the urban ponds is three fish regardless of species. A limit is the total number of fish, or the total number of a particular fish species, an angler can have in his possession regardless of where the fish are stored. In Nevada, anglers can possess no more than one limit.

Silver State Tags offer ‘hunt of a lifetime’

Vote cuts number of available deer tags

Recreation on 10 cents a day

fishing license requirementsAnglers 12 years of age or older are

required to have a valid Nevada fishing license whenever they are fishing in Nevada. The exception is when they are fishing interstate waters such as those of Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and the Colorado River where a license is not needed until an angler is 14 years old. At Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake a license is not required until an angler is 16 years old.

For residents, an annual junior or senior license is $13. For adults, ages 16 to 64, $29. A $10 trout stamp is required whenever an angler takes or possesses trout. For nonresidents, the cost of an annual Nevada fishing license is $69 for an adult and $21 for juniors (12 through 15 years). Short-term licenses also are available.

source: Nevada Department of Wildlife

Editor’s note: As National Wildlife Federation (NWF) celebrates its 75th year, Nevada Wildlife Federation (NvWF) celebrates with them. NWF’s advocates brought the organization’s founding principles to Nevada forming a state affiliate 60 years ago. This is a second in a series to appear in “Nevada Wildlife.” Look for the 1970s and 1980s in the next issue of “Nevada Wildlife” or go to www.nwf.org for the full story.

by Mark WexlerNational Wildlife Federation

1950s: New ground in education1950: After a strong push on Capitol Hill by NWF to ensure passage of the Dingell-Johnson Act, President Truman signs the measure into law, providing financial aid for restoring the nation’s fisheries.1951: The Federation issues a report outlining the environmental concerns of its state affiliates, region by region. For the first time, National Wildlife Week highlights an endangered species, the Key deer. NWF publishes additional educational materials highlighting the wonders of wildlife.1952: The Federation sets up a scholarship fund for college undergraduates pursuing wildlife degrees.1953: NWF sponsors its first annual conservation conference, inviting other groups to participate in discussions about key legislation pending before Congress.1954: Controls on grazing in U.S. national forests are vigorously supported by NWF delegates at annual meeting in Chicago.1955: Ernie Swift, assistant director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under President Eisenhower, becomes new NWF executive director. Federation publishes the first edition of its annual

Conservation Directory, the only listing available of all of the country’s groups and agencies involved in natural-resource and environmental issues.1956: Meeting in New Orleans, NWF delegates urge Congress to protect the nation’s wildlife refuges from the threats of oil and gas development. Federation’s annual working budget tops $1 million for the first time.1957: As U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forges ahead with several sweeping projects, NWF urges federal lawmakers to demand that cost-benefit studies of reservoir projects be conducted beforehand. Through the efforts of the Federation and the Boone and Crockett Club, the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge is established in Florida.1958: Ranger Rick and his friends, created by NWF official J.A. Brownridge, first appear in print in a book titled The Adventures of Rick Raccoon. NWF delegates pass resolutions urging better standards to control interstate highway advertising and more research on the effects of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides on people and wildlife.1959: NWF growth prompts groundbreaking for a new headquarters building in Washington, D.C. The

Federation urges Congress to prevent federal authorities from licensing hydroelectric dams without also providing for conservation of affected fish and other wildlife. The Michigan affiliate successfully stops a potentially destructive mining project in the state’s Upper Peninsula.1960s: Gaining size and influence1960: Thomas L. Kimball, former head of the state fish and wildlife departments in Arizona and Colorado, takes over as executive director of NWF.1961: President John F. Kennedy dedicates the new NWF headquarters building in ceremony launching vigorous new growth for the organization. Wildlife Week theme: “Multiple Use of Our Natural Resources.”1962: NWF board of directors agrees to launch National Wildlife® magazine; its initial issue’s circulation exceeds 65,000. Pennsylvania affiliate helps push through nation’s first surface-mining act, requiring return of mining lands in the state to their original contours.1963: Congress passes first Clean Air Act, which was a high priority for NWF.1964: U.S. Wilderness Act, supported strongly by NWF and the Wilderness Society, signed into law by President

Lyndon B. Johnson. NWF establishes national Conservation Hall of Fame®. First inductee: President Theodore Roosevelt.1965: Nation’s first awards for outstanding achievement in the field of conservation are sponsored by NWF. Initial recipients: Lady Bird Johnson and Nelson Rockefeller.1966: NWF produces its first film, At War With Waste. Nation’s first Endangered Species Preservation Act, pushed by NWF, is signed into law.1967: Ranger Rick® magazine is launched. NWF publishes the best-selling book A Conservation Saga by Ernest Swift.1968: First overseas travel safari sponsored by NWF. National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, supported by NWF, becomes law. Wildlife Week theme: “Learn to Live With Nature.”1969: In National Wildlife, NWF publishes its initial “Environmental Quality Index,” the country’s first annual report card on status of our environment and natural resources. Joining forces with its Idaho affiliate, NWF stops a mining operation that threatened a scenic recreation area. © National Wildlife Federation 2011. Reprinted with permission.

Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011 7

Space is limited,so register today! Registration form is available at

www.NVWF.org

Train your Dog to avoid Rattlesnakes

Summer 2011 classes are offered on these dates and locations:

Call (775) 342-8316Email snaketraining@gmail.com

ABOVE: Example of a snake bite on an UNTRAINED dog

June 25 & 26; July 9Reno/Carson Area, Davis Creek Regional ParkWest side of Washoe Valley, US 395 South

Rattlesnake Avoidance Training

The training sessions are designed to protect you from unexpected vet bills, excruciating pain to youranimals, and may even save your pet’s life. The avoidance behavior is taught with negative reinforcement byputting a “remote controlled” collar on the dog. When the dog’s attention is on the live snake, an unpleasant stimulation is applied to the dog. The level of stimulation will be controlled by the handler based on your dog’s size, age, and personality. Stations are set up to train the dogs on sight, smell, and sound of liverattlesnakes. All rattlesnakes have had their venom glands surgically severed for safety.

Experienced dog trainers will train your dog individually. A licensed snake handler will provide safety. Dogs must be 6 months or older. The session takes about 5-10 minutes on average, depending on the dog. Most dogs learn to avoid the snakes quickly.

The training is scheduled throughout the day beginning at 8:00 a.m. Entry fees are $70 for first dog, $60 for second dog and $50 for subsequent dogs by same owner.Payment must be mailed with registration form.

Rattlesnake Avoidance Training is brought to you by the following non-profit organizations:

“I was surprised and so thankful to see that Otis stayed clear of a snake after receiving his training. He’s a hunter and constantly attacks lizards, mice, and anything that moves.” - Sharon D. talking about Otis, her six-year-old dauchsund’s encounter with a rattlesnake.

Nevada Wildlife Federation has expanded its World Wide Web pres-ence with the new Sportsmen’s Action Network. This Web page at www.nvwf.org/nvwfsan.htm is designed to provide current outdoor news, events and action alerts. The network provides useful links to make desktop activism easy. The net-work is a good place to find out more about Federation and affiliate activities.

Check out the rest of our Web site at www.nvwf.com.

Nevada Wildlife Federation has joined Facebook too. You can join us by liking us on Facebook.

Nevada Wildlife Federation (NvWF) is the state’s oldest nonprofit, conserva-tion organization. Sportsmen founded NvWF in 1951 to work on conservation issues that affect wildlife. NvWF is not affiliated with any government agency.

See you on the Web!

75 years: NWF

looks back

Sportsman’s Action Network, Facebook link make Web debut

8 Nevada Wildlife – Spring, 2011

by Lorna WeaverWalker Lake Working Group

Mechanical problems didn’t stop Mineral County Search and Rescue from providing an outing on Walker Lake on May 7. A faulty bearing kept the Nevada Department of Wildlife boat from mak-ing it to Walker Lake Education Day, and the barge that has been used in the past to ferry more than 25 people onto the lake was dead in the water with a blown en-gine shortly after starting.

Determined, Glenn Bunch, Walker Lake Working Group Chair, retrieved the Mineral County Search and Rescue boat from Walker Lake’s nearby fire-house to provide promised boat rides to Sportsman’s Beach event goers. The discouraging start to boating activities didn’t dampen the spirits of visitors, who under perfect weather and calm water didn’t seem to notice that tours where shortened to accommodate as many of the few hundred visitors as possible.

Plenty of other activities were avail-able to make up the difference including the sights and smells of a 40-foot long Lahontan cutthroat trout tent set up by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Children were encouraged to enter the tent, pre-tend to be young fish, scoop up plastic balls (food), eat to grow larger, find their “scent” (vanilla or orange), match that scent to the start of their “upstream jour-neys” outside the tent, then “spawn” with bean bags into a “gravel bottom” target.

“We had a lot of good spawners here today,” Stephanie Byers, a fish biolo-gist with Fish and Wildlife, said with a smile.

The giant fish tent was right at home in the native habitat of Lahontan cut-throat trout at Walker Lake, which Fish

and Wildlife Service has included in a recovery plan for the federally listed threatened species. However, all-time high salinity and low water inflows have prevented wildlife agencies from stock-ing Lahontan cutthroat trout in the last two years. Prior to habitat decline at Walker Lake, the Lahontans drew inter-national visitors to vie for the trophy fish that grew to 15 pounds.

The colorful fish tent added to the outdoor adventure for children who showed excitement in uninhibited run-ning on the beach into the wide open spaces at Walker Lake. Other kids gin-gerly poked their fingers and toes into the clear and slightly saline water of the imperiled lake.

Lack of water at the lake is caus-ing saline to rise at the lake, threatening the fishery that thousands of migratory

birds depend on for food. The purpose of Walker Lake Education Day is to provide the public with current and accurate in-formation on what is being done to save the freshwater fishery.

Multiple exhibits attested to the varied interests in Walker Lake and the region. Exhibits housed under a 40-foot by 60-foot circus tent included: Bureau of Land Management; Great Basin Institute; Hawthorne Army Depot; International Conservation Volunteer Exchange; Lahontan Audubon; chil-dren’s activities with Laura Blaylock of Mina; Mineral County Cooperative Extension; Mineral County Chamber of Commerce; Mono Lake Committee; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Nevada Department of Wildlife; Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; Nevada Wildlife Federation; Walker Lake Working Group; and Walker River Paiute Tribe.

The afternoon Education Day pre-sentations were opened with a prayer and song in the native language of Walker River Paiute Tribe Elder Priscilla Carrera. Walker Lake is an important cultural symbol to the tribe.

Karie Wright of Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) Fisheries, reported that she has observed fish mortality at Walker Lake anywhere from a few in-dividuals to up to a hundred at a time. However, she said she is unclear on how much fresh water from underground springs may be sustaining the fish. She also said that she hasn’t heard of anyone catching fish at the lake in two years. Efforts to restore the fishery include the successful NDOW project to plant a Walker Lake strain of tui chub in nearby Rose Creek Reservoir. These fish will be available to restock Walker Lake once water quality improves.

Lack of fish is the likely cause of dwindling bird populations at Walker Lake. Bob Goodman of the Lahontan Audubon Society shared his spotting scope with Education Day visitors. He reported seeing eared grebes, pelicans and double crested cormorants but only a fraction of what was at Walker Lake even three years ago. Goodman heard of one unconfirmed sighting of a common loon that day, down from past counts of

up to 1,500 during spring migration.Charles King of the Hawthorne

Army Depot provided handouts on the plan to build six miles of barbed-wire fence around Army and public lands that may contain unexploded ordnance. Ordnance left over from weapons test-ing at Walker Lake from 1942 to 1975 is being exposed as lake levels recede and pose a public safety risk.

Fresh water is needed to dilute the salinity at Walker Lake to improve habi-tat conditions. A substantial amount of fresh water from the Walker River is making its way to the lake for the first time in years because of above normal snowpack in the Sierra. This “flood” water was running at 456 cubic feet per second on May 7, according to real-time data from a U.S. Geological Survey gage at the mouth of Walker Lake.

More water for Walker Lake will be headed downstream due to the recent flood water forbearance agreement with the Walker River Irrigation District ac-cording to Joy Giffin of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). NFWF is a federally chartered non-profit at the helm of federally funded efforts to pur-chase water for Walker Lake and provide other conservation and stewardship ac-tivities throughout Walker Basin.

To date, NFWF has completed five upstream water rights purchases for Walker Lake from willing sellers, and is now working on obtaining change of use approvals from the Nevada State Engineer and the federal court. The process to change these initial water rights from irrigation of District Lands to instream use in the Walker River and Walker Lake will likely take at least sev-eral years to complete.

by Lorna WeaverA giant Lahontan cutthroat trout tent (above) was set up May 7 at Sportman’s Beach for Walker Lake Education Day. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tent exhibit was designed to illustrate the life cycle of the threatened fish that is native to Walker Lake.

Walker Basin Restoration Program

In April, Walker River Irrigation District (WRID) Board of Directors voted to approve a preliminary phase of a $25 million Water Lease Demonstration Program authorized by Public Law 111-85. The ensuing $2.051 million grant agreement be-tween the District and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) features a flood water forbearance agreement covering May 1 – July 31 of the 2011 irrigation season.

The preliminary phase agree-ment also anticipates future work on one or more additional phases includ-ing possible water measurement and control system improvements, stor-age water regulations, and an initial phase of demonstration water leasing. Discussions between WRID, its con-stituents, a newly-appointed advisory committee, and NFWF are ongoing to develop these next possible phases as the preliminary phase agreement is implemented.Additional funding

In April, the U.S. Bureau of

Reclamation (Reclamation) com-mitted an additional $88 million of Desert Terminal Lakes (DTL) fund-ing to NFWF to help further the goals and objectives of the Walker Basin Restoration Program (Program). The Program was established by Public Law 111-85 in October, 2009, for the primary purpose of restoring and maintaining Walker Lake, an at-risk natural desert terminal lake in Nevada.

“This second major installment of DTL funding represents an important step forward for the Program, provid-ing critical resources for restoring Walker Lake while enhancing oppor-tunities for investments in land stew-ardship, sustainable agriculture, and the riparian and watershed resources of the Walker Basin,” said David Yardas, Program Director. “NFWF is grateful for this additional sup-port, and we are committed to work-ing with Reclamation, Congress, and both local and regional interests to en-sure that these funds can be utilized to further the many related purposes and components of the DTL program.”

Deal to supply lake water

by Lorna WeaverU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Biologist Stephanie Byers helps Gabriel and Faith Weaver of Reno to find their “scent” inside the trout tent set up on May 7 at Sportsman’s Beach for Education Day.

Giant fish thrills children at Walker Lake Education Day

by Garry CurtisNevada Wildlife Federation was among the exhibitors at Walker Lake Education Day on May 7.