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DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE & BOARD OF WILDLIFE

COMMISSIONERS

2017 Legislative Joint Subcommittee Natural

Resources

February 9, 2017

Several key landmark Supreme Court rulings have made it clear the wildlife belong to no one but are to be held in trust by government for the benefit of present and future generations. This Public Trust Doctrine has become the legal bedrock for government to establish regulatory authority over wildlife Federal agencies recognize that “the states possess broad trustee and police powers over fish and wildlife within their borders, including fish and wildlife found on federal lands within a state.” 43 C.F.R. § 24.3 Through federally levied excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment, states are able to leverage non-federal funds at a ratio of 3:1 ($3 federal dollars/$1 state dollar) in the name of fish and wildlife management Nevada Department of Wildlife’s statutory authorities and responsibilities are outlined in NRS 501-506 (wildlife) and 488 (boating)

Wildlife as Public Trust Resource

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North American Model of Wildlife Conservation

Seven Principles: Wildlife is held in the public trust Regulated commerce in wildlife Hunting & fishing laws created through public

process Hunting & fishing opportunities for all Non-frivolous use of wildlife Wildlife is an international resource Scientific management of wildlife

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The Public Process

Wildlife Commission (Governor appointed)

County Advisory Boards

(county appointed)

Department of Wildlife

(recommendations)

General Public

Policies & Regulations

Implement & Enforce Policy & Regulations

Legislative Statutes

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Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners

9-Governor appointed members represent: one-farming, one-ranching, one-conservation, one-general public and five-sportsmen.

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Wildlife Commission Duties NRS 501.181:

Establish broad policies for wildlife management and boating safety

Provide guidance to NDOW Adopt regulations for wildlife management and

boating safety Adopt regulations specific to hunting, trapping,

and fishing • Considering NDOW recommendations, County Advisory

Boards and public views at an open meeting

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Nevada Department of Wildlife

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NDOW Mission Statement

To protect, preserve, manage and restore wildlife and its habitat for its aesthetic, scientific, educational, recreational, and economic benefit to citizens of Nevada and the United States, and to promote the safety of persons using vessels on the waters of this state.

NRS: 501-506 (wildlife), 488 (boating)

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Nevada’s Wildlife Responsibilities 893 different species regularly

occurring in Nevada • 456 species of birds • 173 species of fish • 161 species of mammals • 79 species of reptiles • 24 amphibian species

ESA – Listing Activities • Candidates(0) Threatened(8) Endangered(20)

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State General Fund, $838,386 , 2%

Grants, $19,106,912 , 46% License and Tags,

$20,173,341 , 49%

Other, $1,118,091, 3%

State General Fund

Grants

Fees and Tags

Other

FY 2018 NDOW Operations Funding By Source

Note Other: Motor Boat Fuel, Rental, License Plate, Dispatch Contract, Tahoe EIP

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Department Structure

• 256.63 Full-time Employees (approx. 50 seasonals, 30 contractors) • 120 Buildings • 38 Radio Towers • 11 Wildlife Management Areas (120,000 ac.) • 8 Major Facilities • 7 Unique Divisions • 4 Fish Hatcheries • 3 Regions

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Operations Division

February 9, 2017

Operations (32.63 positions)

Licensing Business Services

Customer Support

Engineering & Facilities

Boating Access

Information Technology

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Operations Program Areas

Licensing Application Hunt System (AHS)

Supports tag application process and random game tag drawings throughout the year

217,000 applications for June 2016 Big Game Tag Draw Nevada Wildlife Data System (NWDS)

Customer service counters, online and license sales agents 144,000 licenses and 133,000 stamps sold in 2016 42,000 vessels registered in 2016

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Conservation Education

(19 positions)

Hunter Education

Angler Education

Archery Education

Wildlife Education And

Urban Wildlife

Media and Public

Relations Volunteer Program

Conservation Education Division

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Conservation Education Program Areas Hunter Education

Using 300 NRA certified volunteer instructors, NDOW certifies 4,000 hunter students annually.

Angler Education Staff coordinates clinics, seminars, and Free Fishing Day events to over 8,500 youth

and adult participants. Archery Education

30 volunteer instructors state wide, going to over 100 schools with active National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) in the state of Nevada across 11 counties.

Wildlife Education Averages 1,000 opportunities a month (school groups, community programs, park

visitors).

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Conservation Education Program Areas Urban Wildlife Program

Federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife grants do not fund urban wildlife or human-wildlife conflict activities.

Urban development issue, not a hunting or wildlife management issue Current activity is limited to response to public safety threats.

In the 2017 Legislative session, two seasonal positions were created to handle the large volume of calls regarding human wildlife conflicts.

Education, outreach and response. Information campaigns and seasonal positions. The Urban Wildlife Coordinators spend their time educating public on the

behaviors of wildlife, how to prevent conflicts from arising and steps they can take to minimize the chance of an unpleasant wildlife encounter.

Log, record and map calls and incidents. Contact media with current issue to assist

public. GIS mapping framework developed for

documenting human-wildlife conflicts to better understand geographical areas of concern.

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Conservation Education Program Areas

Volunteer Program

In 2016 NDOW volunteers donated an estimated 21,000 labor hours on projects and drove close to150,000 miles. This donated labor and miles is valued at almost $900,000 that allowed the Department to bring in over $1,750,000 in federal funds with no cost to the state.

The matching funds alone are vital to NDOW’s mission, but it is only a portion of the value volunteers contribute to the conservation of Nevada wildlife. Volunteer Project Examples:

Bighorn Sheep Trap and Transplants Sage-grouse lek surveys Planting projects Raptor surveys Fish Electroshocking Water Development Builds Marlette Lake Spawning

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Law Enforcement Division

February 9, 2017

Law Enforcement

(52 positions)

Wildlife Enforcement

Boating Enforcement

Boating Education

Operation Game Thief Guide Licensing

Dispatch & Radio

Communications Public Safety

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Law Enforcement Program Areas

Wildlife Law Enforcement Enforcement of hunting, fishing, and trapping laws and regulations Seasons Bag limits Methods of take Licenses, tags and stamps

Non-game wildlife protection Protected species Threatened species Endangered species

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Law Enforcement Program Areas

Boating Safety Enforcement: Chapter 488 of NRS Operating under the influence Reckless operation Safety equipment: PFD’s, fire extinguishers, etc. Boat accident investigation and reconstruction

Boating Safety Education Boating education certificate mandatory on interstate waters for

anyone born after January 1, 1983 Public outreach for media Boating safety advertising campaigns and promotions Loaner life jacket stations at 14 locations on Nevada waterways

2014: Accidents-56; Injuries-23; Fatalities-6 2015: Accidents-46; Injuries-23; Fatalities-5 2016: Accidents-53; Injuries-27; Fatalities-3

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Law Enforcement Program Areas

Operation Game Thief Callers can remain anonymous and collect reward money Like Secret Witness for wildlife crime 154 calls assigned an OGT Case Number in 2016 Operation Game Thief Citizen’s Board: The non-profit board that

pays the reward money

Master Guide and Subguide Licensing 106 licensed master guides for hunting and fishing in NV Over 400 licensed subguides employed by master guides

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Game Management Division

February 9, 2017

Game Management

(34 positions)

Big and Upland Game Management

Wildlife Health Management

Landowner Conflict

Resolution Predation

Management Air Operations

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Game Management Program Areas

Big and Upland Game Management Surveys and monitoring Season setting and tag quota recommendation Translocations and augmentations

Upland and big game

Investigations and studies

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Wildlife Health Management Disease surveillance Translocations Wildlife commonly involved

Bighorn sheep Gila Monsters, Desert Tortoise Fisheries

Coordination with Department of Agriculture Coordination among states

Game Management Program Areas

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Landowner Conflict Resolution Elk damage compensation Elk incentive program Deer and antelope damage compensation Providing technical advice, materials,

compensation, and incentives to reduce conflicts with wildlife

Game Management Program Areas

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Predation Management Managing predators in concert with other wildlife

species Management consistent with existing statute Investigations to reduce or mitigate effects of

predation Lethal reductions in predator numbers

Game Management Program Areas

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Air Operations Two Bell helicopters, operating about 1,400 hours

annually Serving multiple divisions

Big game survey Raptor surveys Fish stocking Reseeding Guzzler monitoring and construction Communication Towers maintenance

Game Management Program Areas

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Fisheries Management Division

February 9, 2017

Fisheries Management

(43 positions)

Sport Fish Production

Fisheries Management

Native Aquatics

Aquatic Health Monitoring

Aquatic Invasive Species

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Fisheries Program Areas

Sport Fish Production Three hatchery facilities produce ± 1M fish per year, mostly rainbow trout Annual stocking in ± 100 waters statewide to maintain angling

opportunities

Fisheries Management Management and monitoring of sport fisheries statewide Restoration and creating new opportunities Conservation and recovery of native trout species (LCT, Bull trout, etc.) Sport fishing generates over $138M in economic activity annually

statewide

Native Aquatic Species Program Conservation and recovery of Nevada’s native aquatic species Nevada has 24 ESA listed fishes, 20 State protected 130 aquatic species ID’d as priority species in the Nevada Wildlife Action

Plan (51% of total) Multiple emerging issues including native amphibians, springsnail listing

petitions for 30+ species

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Fisheries Program Areas

Aquatic Health Monitoring Monitoring of contaminants in fish tissue (Mercury, etc.) in

cooperation with NDEP Development of consumption advisories for wild-caught fish

cooperatively with NDEP and NV Board of Public Health

Aquatic Invasive Species Program Two program focus areas

Containment – limiting quagga mussels to the Colorado River system Prevention – statewide outreach to boaters, free inspection and

decontamination of watercraft, fixed and roving stations Active monitoring of waters statewide for early detection of

quagga and other invasives

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Wildlife Diversity Division

February 9, 2017

Wildlife Diversity

(16 positions)

State Wildlife Action Plan

Non-Game Species

Management

Threatened & Endangered

Species

Tahoe Environmental Improvement

Geographic Information

Systems

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Wildlife Diversity Division Program Areas

256 Species of Greatest Conservation Need

1 Mollusk 69 Gastropods 51 Fishes 9 Amphibians 26 Reptiles 60 Birds 40 Mammals

Blueprint for keeping common species common and preventing rare species declines

22 Key Habitat Types

State Wildlife Action Plan

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Wildlife Diversity Division Program Areas

Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program

Crucial Habitat Analysis Tool - CHAT

o Cooperative effort of 16 western states

o Provides the public and industry with a consistent high level overview of important habitat in the west

o Long term plan to improve the environment at Lake Tahoe

o Implementation by the Nevada-Tahoe Resource Team, including Wildlife Diversity

o Wildlife habitat improvement projects and species monitoring

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Habitat Division

February 9, 2017

Habitat (39 positions)

Development Project Review

Industrial Ponds

Habitat Conservation & Restoration

Nevada Partners Program

Water Development

Wildlife Management

Areas

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Habitat Division Program Areas

Development Project Review Comment within National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

analysis of projects with a federal nexus Supported by all resource divisions within NDOW Avoid, minimize and mitigate project related impacts to wildlife or

their habitats > 500 projects reviewed annually Position on the Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team

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Habitat Division Program Areas

Industrial Pond Permitting Program Manage and monitor 88 Industrial Artificial Pond Permits

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Habitat Division Program Areas

Nevada Partners for Conservation and Development Program Promoting collaborative project funding and implementation with

partners including state and federal agencies, private landowners, conservation districts, and universities

> 80 major projects across >50,000 acres (wildfire restoration, Pinyon – Juniper projects)

Merging and managing partner resources in excess of $5 million Private Lands Program with three dedicated biologists Co-funding two Sage Grouse Initiative positions

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Habitat Division Program Areas

Water Development Program Two water development crews responsible for locating, clearing,

installing and maintaining water developments More than 1,700 water developments across the state

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Habitat Division Program Areas

Wildlife Management Areas 11 designated wildlife management areas across the state Totaling 119,212 acres owned or managed under long-term lease

agreements Primarily wetland/waterfowl habitat Managed for wildlife values and public recreation (fishing, hunting,

wildlife viewing, camping, hiking, trapping and nature studies)

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Opportunities and Issues

Opportunities SB 75 – Department Clean-up

Paper reduction Modernize posting Public safety Protection of personal information

BDR17A7021147 – License Simplification Reduce the number of licenses and privileges (from 28 to 7) Reduce inadvertent errors (such as, not holding the appropriate stamp) Remain revenue neutral Greater value to the customer as licenses will be valid 365 days from

date of purchase

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Opportunities and Issues

Issues Shed Antlers

What are they? Annually shed deer and elk antlers

Demand/Value Furniture and Accessories $16-$20 per pound

Methods Walking, Driving, ATV, Snowmobiles

Impacts Animal stress Energy depletion Habitat destruction

Current Status 25% non-residents, 10% commercial Utah emergency statewide closure S.B. 102 mandate in 2011 session 2014 deferred by Legislative

Commission

Price tag $8,500

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Thank you for your time! Contact: Tony Wasley, Director Nevada Department of Wildlife Phone: (775) 688-1599 email: twasley@ndow.org Grant Wallace, Chairman Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners Phone: (775) 572-3154 email: hay4you@veawb.coop

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