On August 23, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed an executive order establishing the Nevada Habitat Conservation Framework intended to reverse the long-term trend of loss of habitat due to climate change, wildfire, invasive species, and habitat fragmentation. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) will work with conservation partners, ranchers, industry, and other interested stakeholders as well as local and federal agencies to identify the values and services provided by intact landscapes while developing strategies to conserve, restore, and rehabilitate the state’s threatened wildlife habitats. The agency will develop two new plans to meet the goals of the framework including a Sagebrush Habitat Plan to address the conversion and loss of sagebrush habitats, and a Nevada Wildlife Connectivity Plan to help maintain migratory corridors for species such as mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and other species that use these corridors to move between seasonal ranges.

“More than 50% of all historic sagebrush habitats across the West have been lost to wildfires, invasive species, pinyon-juniper encroachment, climate change, and other threats. As a result, the sagebrush ecosystem is one of the most imperiled in the U.S.,” said NDOW Director Tony Wasley. “Now more than ever, it is important that all concerned entities come together and maximize our collective efforts to restore these critical ecosystems. NDOW applauds the Governor for signing this executive order and creating a turning point in Nevada’s habitat conservation legacy.”