Nevada Department of Wildlife Wildlife Heritage Program Project
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Nevada Department of Wildlife Wildlife Heritage Program Project Summaries and State Fiscal Year 2022 Proposals Table of Contents Page Section 1: Summaries of Recently Completed 1-1 and Active Wildlife Heritage Projects Summary Table: Recently Completed and Active 1-2 Wildlife Heritage Projects Project Summaries 1-5 to 1-22 2-1 Section 2: Wildlife Heritage Proposals Submitted for State Fiscal Year 2022 Funding 2-2 Summary Table: Wildlife Heritage Proposals Submitted for FY22 Funding FY22 Proposals (proposal numbers from the 2-5 to 2-193 summary table are found on the upper right corner of each proposal page) Section 1: Summaries of Recently Completed and Active Wildlife Heritage Projects This section provides brief summaries of Wildlife Heritage projects that were recently completed during State Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 and 2021. It also includes brief status reports for projects that were still active as of April 10, 2021. The table on the following pages summarizes key characteristics about each of the projects that are addressed in this section. The financial status of these projects will be updated in early June and in time to be included in the support material for the June Wildlife Heritage Committee Meeting and the Board of Commissioners meeting. 1-1 Recently Completed and Active Wildlife Heritage Projects (active projects and those completed during FY20 and 21; expenditure data is according to DAWN as of April 10, 2021) Heritage Project Heritage Award Dollars Spent as Number Name of Heritage Project Project Manager Amount of April 10 Status of Project 18-05 Overland Pass Pinyon and Juniper Thinning Caleb McAdoo, NDOW $150,000 $75,000 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 18-06 Goshute Mountains Springs Protection Matt Glenn, NDOW $45,000 $19,606.78 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 18-11 Cheatgrass Research Using Herbicides and a Biological Moira Kolada, NDOW $22,900 $0 Close, BLM unable to move forward Control Agent with clearances 19-07 Kern Mountain Habitat Improvement Project Moira Kolada, NDOW $30,000 $0 Completed with other funds 19-09 Bighorn Sheep Gene Transcription Analysis Nate LaHue, NDOW $84,500 $87,500 Completed 19-10 Comins Lake Boat Ramp Shane Boren, White Pine $55,000 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in CAB FY22 19-14 Cave Valley Ranch PJ Removal Project Lauren Williams, DCNR $59,674.01 $30.31 Completed 20-03 South Mountains Habitat Restoration Moira Kolada, NDOW $75,000 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 20-05 Egan Johnson Basin Restoration Moira Kolada, NDOW $70,000 52,190 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 20-06 North Cave Valley Habitat Restoration Moira Kolada, NDOW $60,157.65 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 20-07 Prioritizing and Protecting Natural Water Resources Cody Schroeder, NDOW $50,000 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 20-09 Big Game Survey Tool Cody McKee, NDOW $70,000 $41,415 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 20-10 Maximizing the Effectiveness of Common Raven Pat Jackson, NDOW $70,000 $68,194 Ongoing, completion expected in Removal FY22 20-12 Staheli Chaining Maintenance Project Cory Lytle, Lincoln County $75,000 $51,603 Ongoing, completion expected in CAB FY22 1-2 Recently Completed and Active Wildlife Heritage Projects (active projects and those completed during FY20 and 21; expenditure data is according to DAWN as of April 10, 2021) Heritage Project Project Manager Heritage Dollars Spent Number Name of Heritage Project Award Amount as of April 10 Status of Project 20-13 Blacktop Apron Guzzler Upgrade Clint Bentley, $21,400 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Fraternity of the FY22 Desert Bighorn 20-14 Mormon #3 “Prospect” Guzzler Upgrade Clint Bentley, $21,615 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Fraternity of the FY22 Desert Bighorn 20-16 Bighorn Disease Susceptibility Analysis Matthew Blackburn, $59,530 $59,530 Completed Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn 21-01 2020-2021 Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat Mike Cox, NDOW $68,900 $49,619 Completed, remaining funds Capture, Transplant and Monitoring invoiced 21-02 Rocky Mountain Elk Population Monitoring and Cody McKee, NDOW $61,000.00 $61,000 Completed Harvest Validation 21-03 Marlette Lake Broodstock Facilities/Passage Travis Hawks, NDOW $100,000.00 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Improvement Project Phase 2 FY22 21-04 Wildfire-Related Restoration and Seed Purchase Lee Davis, NDOW $146,000.00 $146,000 Completed 21-05 Desert Creek Conservation Easement Shawn Espinosa, $100,000.00 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in NDOW FY22 21-06 Middle Rock Creek Habitat Improvement Matt Glenn, NDOW $125,000.00 $29,495.15 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 21-07 Continued Monitoring of Moose Expansion in Nevada Cody McKee (Kari $20,000.00 $18,323 Completed Huebner), NDOW 21-08 Snake Range Aspen Habitat Restoration Project Moira Kolada, NDOW $30,000.00 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in FY22 21-09 Toano Mountain Restoration Project Lindsey Lesmeister $66,000.00 $40,000 Completed 21-10 Egan Johnson Basin Restoration Moira Kolada $75,000.00 $0 Completed 21-11 Area 10 Mule Deer Migration Corridor Habitat $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Caleb McAdoo $50,000.00 Enhancement FY22 21-12 Toiyabe PMU (Bates, Hickison and Wolf Ranches) $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Jeremy Lutz $75,000.00 Pinyon-Juniper Thinning FY22 21-13 $0 Ongoing, completion expected in SE Schell Habitat Restoration Project Moira Kolada $75,000.00 FY22 Recently Completed and Active Wildlife Heritage Projects (active projects and those completed during FY20 and 21; expenditure data is according to DAWN as of April 10, 2021) 1-3 Heritage Project Project Manager Heritage Dollars Spent Number Name of Heritage Project Award Amount as of April 10 Status of Project 21-14 Cody Schroeder (Mark $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Enhancement of Crucial Habitat for Antelope and Freese, Chris $100,000.00 FY22 Mule Deer in Washoe County, Nevada Hampson) 21-15 A New Population Model for Antelope to Improve $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Accuracy, Identify Limiting Factors, and Improve Cody Schroeder $37,500.00 FY22 Management Decisions 21-16 Investigating Potential Limiting Factors Impacting $50,788 Ongoing, completion expected in Pat Jackson $65,000.00 Mule Deer in Northwest Nevada FY22 21-17 Sam Sedillo, Truckee $0 Ongoing, completion expected in East Walker River Fish Habitat Enhancement Project $11,191.00 TU (Kris Urquhart) FY22 21-18 Dr. Gail Patricelli, UC $0 Ongoing, completion expected in The Interaction Between Restoration, Foraging Davis (Shawn $65,855.00 FY22 Ecology, and Mating Behavior in Greater Sage-Grouse Espinosa) 21-19 Clint Bentley, $0 Completed, billing submitted Survey and Maintenance of Existing Big Game Water Fraternity of the $36,000.00 Developments Desert Bighorn (Sam Hughes) 21-20 Diet Quality and Composition of Mule Deer in the $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Dr. Kelly Stewart, UNR Toiyabe Mountains Following Removal of Pinyon- $32,000.00 FY22 (Cody Schroeder) Juniper 21-21 Lauren Williams, $0 Ongoing, completion expected in Cave Valley Collaboration $50,000.00 DCNR (Moira Kolada) FY22 Totals $2,409,223 $850,294 1-4 Heritage Project 18-05: Overland Pass Pinyon and Juniper Thinning The objective of this project is to thin or completely remove Pinyon-Juniper trees from identified polygons in order to promote a more healthy and biodiverse habitat for wildlife. The entire project area is 3,500 acres, where an estimated 7,000 mule deer transition through the project area twice a year. An extension is requested as additional spring fencing projects are being planned based on reallocated funding from the FY21 cycle. 1-5 Heritage Project 18-06: Goshute Mountains Springs Protection The project included the construction of a single 325-foot pipe rail fence to preclude access of wild horses to Rock Springs located in the northern portion of the Goshute Mountains. This fence was constructed as a part of a larger effort in this mountain range and the surrounding area to protect important natural water features from the negative impacts of wild horse over utilization. As natural water sources are limited in the cold desert, projects like this stand to benefit a myriad of wildlife species including but not limited to mule deer, elk, and upland bird species. An extension is requested to utilized on an additional spring protection project in the Goshute Mountains during the 2021 field season. 1-6 Heritage Project 18-11: Cheatgrass Research Using Herbicides and a Biological Control Agent This ongoing project in southern Newark Valley along the White Pine Mountain Range and in south Steptoe Valley along the Egan Mountain Range will treat eight test plots of 5 acres each to gauge the efficacy of Imazapic and Rimsulfuron in suppressing cheatgrass within post-wildfire plots. BLM has been unable to complete NEPA for this project at this time and closure of the project is requested. Heritage Project 19-07: Kern Mountain Habitat Improvement Project The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District, in coordination with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) identified approximately 1,100 acres of being affected by Pinyon and Juniper encroachment and eligible for treatment under the Kern Mountain Landscape Restoration Project EA. Treatment consisted of complete removal of Pinyon and Juniper within the treatment area. Islands and stringers were designed to benefit big game, upland game, and nongame species. Tree removal was completed by hand crews with the use of chainsaws. Trees were cut as close as possible to ground level with a maximum stump height of 12 inches. Cut trees were be lopped and scattered/leave. BLM received SNMPLA dollars and was able to contract out additional acres to complete this project without the use of Heritage Funds. Closure of the project is requested. Heritage Project 19-09: Bighorn Sheep Gene Transcription Analysis This project conducted immunological assays on 277 bighorn sheep within the state to assess herd susceptibility to pathogens by examining immunological response.