The Bureau of Land Management, which controls 65% of public lands in Nevada, says it is now going to make it a priority to protect wildlife corridors — which are the routes animals like mule deer take between their winter and summer ranges.
The Bureau of Land Management issued aMemorandum of Instruction Tuesday, officially telling their state offices to consider the impact on wildlife migration when making decisions going forward. The move is being praised by conservation groups, but brings up questions about upcoming plans to offer new oil leases on public land.
Russell Kuhlman, executive director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation, said the BLM has the power to approve or deny permits on a wide range of projects.
"They oversee cattle permit grazing, renewable energy projects, the oil and gas leasing, and they also approve building permits," Kuhlman outlined.
A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey found the American West is losing1.3 million acres a year of sagebrush habitat, mainly to wildfire but also to development, which has pushed the sage grouse population closer to extinction.
Kuhlman pointed out the BLM posted a notice online last week, stating it will offer new oil-and-gas leases in Nevada soon, but then, the agency pulled the web page.
"So, I'd be very interested to see if they lease areas of low-to-no potential land for oil and gas, having just sent out this instructional memorandum calling for the protection of wildlife connectivity," Kuhlman remarked. "I'm going to keep my eye on that."
Experts warned animal populations become more vulnerable to disease when they are cut off from parts of their range, in part due to increased inbreeding.
