Species Still at Risk on Nevada Wildlife Refuges Despite New Plan by Feds

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced approval of a new management plan
for the wildlife refuges in southern Nevada that will generally improve
protection for the imperiled species of the refuges. But the new plan
does little to address the single largest threat to the refuges:
increased groundwater use that could devastate springs and streams.

"The
Service's Comprehensive Conservation Plan outlines a clear path to
increasing the protections for the rare and unique Mojave Desert
species found in southern Nevada," said Rob Mrowka, ecologist and
conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.
"Unfortunately, it cannot address the largest threat to the refuges and
their species, namely impacts to springs, streams, and lakes resulting
from groundwater mining that's being done to support unsustainable
human growth and thirsty energy projects."

The
forward-looking new federal plan envisions providing enhanced
protections for wildlife species such as the desert bighorn sheep, Ash
Meadows blazing star, Moapa dace,
and Ash Meadows speckled dace, as well as restoration and improvement
of their needed habitats. However, the Service acknowledges that the
plan has serious shortcomings, including the lack of adequate data and
information about the status and needs of the plant and animal species
found on the refuges, insufficient budget and staffing to implement
many of the envisioned management actions, and concerns about impacts
to springs from groundwater development.

Last year the Center sent a formal notice of intent to sue
to the federal government over its role in permitting groundwater
developments that threaten the continued existence of the Moapa dace at
the Muddy River Springs, partially in the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
The Center has also critiqued proposed "wet cooling" of solar projects
due to their intensive water use that would threaten 24 species of
plants and animals found only on the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. One company, Solar Millennium, LLC, recently announced a change in its plans to dry cooling to greatly reduce their water needs and significantly reduce the threat to Ash Meadows.

"The recent decision by a solar company to switch to 'dry cooling' combined with the recent setbacks
to the Southern Nevada Water Authority's groundwater mining and
pipeline plans do signal hope for the refuges and their species,"
continued Mrowka. "Continued attention and action by concerned citizens
and conservationists will still be needed if the natural heritage of
southern Nevada is to be preserved."

The Service's announcement of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan was published today in the Federal Register and culminates a five-year planning process.