State Sen. Patricia Farley, I-Las Vegas
I am a mother of four, a business owner and a lover of Nevada’s beautiful public spaces. The state’s iconic wildlife and natural treasures are a large part of what makes this a magnificent place for people and animals to call home.
Wildlife and incredible landscapes — which are instrumental for hunting, fishing and wildlife photography — are critical components of Nevada’s multibillion-dollar outdoor recreation economy in both rural and urban communities across our state.
In order to thrive, our state’s wildlife requires safe and clean habitats, in addition to protected, intact migration corridors. What is a migration corridor? Some animals, like deer, move from place to place between winter and summer along predictable and established routes.
That means the habitat for such creatures extends far beyond their nest or grazing area and into their seasonal travel path. These migration corridors are crucial for the survival of some of Nevada’s most majestic animals.
Both habitats and migration corridors are increasingly threatened by factors such as roads, oil and gas development, poorly planned suburban growth and climate change. Roads and highways intersecting wildlife habitats create safety hazards for wildlife as well as drivers.
In the United States, 1 million to 2 million animals are hit by vehicles each year, resulting in about 30,000 human injuries, 200 deaths and an annual cost of $8 billion in taxpayer money.
Nevada has a wonderful story to tell about the actions we’ve already taken to protect migration corridors. The Department of Wildlife and Department of Transportation work together to carve out routes for animals migrating across highways. But many people are unaware of the impact of such initiatives, and more remains to be done.
For instance, Nevada lacks formal protections for migration corridors for any species. The state must ensure it has the tools necessary to conserve wildlife habitat and migration corridors so future generations can enjoy, respect and benefit from the many ways in which wildlife contributes to Nevada’s heritage.
Nevada should join neighboring states in taking bold action to maintain and restore wildlife and preserve their respective habitats.
New Mexico passed a bill called the Wildlife Corridors Act, establishing a Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, and Colorado has made similar strides on migration, with Gov. Jared Polis, via an executive order in August, directing state agencies to collaborate on efforts to prevent habitat loss.
These policies could be emulated by Nevada to better study and preserve our wildlife habitats and corridors.
Nevada must create a comprehensive plan to maintain, enhance and restore critical migratory wildlife habitats.
The more spacious and intact habitats Nevada has for wildlife, the healthier their populations will be, and our outdoor recreation economy can continue to prosper. Without wildlife, the signature sights, sounds and foliage that attract people to our public lands will be gone and our economy will decline along with our desert ecosystem.
Patricia Farley is formerly the representative of Nevada Senate District 8 in Clark County.