1. Fall 2009
A Modest, Radical, Common
Sense, Bold, yet Doable Proposal
L et’s make sure that every renewable energy project—siting and
transmission—is mitigated through two means: funding mecha-
nisms and additional landscape designations.
Whether you are a healthy newcomer to conservation who still
finds acronyms painful, or a grizzled conservation veteran who
actually knows that a BLM ACEC TMP Interim EA is required by
NEPA, you are on the cusp of one of the great conservation oppor-
tunities of our time.
Scientists tell us that the next 10 years are critical for combating the
effects of climate change; without a halt to the rise in emissions,
we lock in the worst of the effects. That means important pieces
of the puzzle—energy conservation and efficiency—alone are not
Arrowleaf balsamroot in the Sheldon National
enough to stem the tide. Large-scale renewable energy projects on
Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Woods Wheatcroft
private and public lands will be accelerated in the next decade, and
we will have to be smart from the start—know that we must miti-
gate the damage to our wildlife habitats that we know we are caus- 500-mile transmission line to run from Idaho to southern Nevada
ing by this accelerated development. What’s the point of stemming with a focus on renewable energy. In Nevada, this line will be built
the climate crisis, only to cause a loss of biodiversity with haphazard on some of the most important habitat of the Great Basin sage
development of renewable sites and new transmission lines? grouse, directly eliminating at least 91 leks, or breeding grounds
(see related article inside). The SWIP will be built, and the sage
Money is a necessary but not sufficient factor in mitigation. If the grouse habitat will be lost. What next?
right places and resources are not protected, billions cannot solve
the problem. However, land designations alone are not the answer, Let’s use funding mechanisms from renewable energy projects (roy-
either. You may protect millions of acres of habitat that are less valu- alties, lease fees, etc.) to implement the recommendations of the
able for wildlife. But in tandem, funding and additional conservation WAP and the GSGP (acronyms!) Then, because we know that species
designations, such as national conservation areas, wilderness, wild- can’t be saved by restoration alone, let’s identify areas away from
life management areas and areas of critical environmental concern, the development where populations are healthy and give them an
can forge a powerful new direction for conservation. appropriate designation—say, a national conservation area—that
will compensate for the lost leks along the SWIP line.
Nevada’s wildlife habitats and renewable energy resources have
already been assessed. Optimal renewable energy assessments for These steps, taken in concert with the renewable energy developer,
biomass, solar, wind, and geothermal superimposed on the Nevada can add up to a game-changing trifecta: real rural economic develop-
Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) and the Governor’s Sage Grouse Plan (GSGP) ment in the new energy economy, “boots on the ground” restoration
reveal areas of conflict and opportunity. As the renewable energy work that implements the vision of the WAP and GSGP, and a conser-
zones are on paper, so too are the ideas for restoration and protection vation designation for the sage grouse that can be a foundation for
of wildlife habitat; but no money is available to fund them. an effective, comprehensive conservation agreement that can pre-
vent the bird’s listing as an endangered species.
On to a real-life opportunity: the impending development of the
Southwest Intertie Project (SWIP) in Eastern Nevada. SWIP is a - John Wallin, Director john.wallin@wildnevada.org
Find us in the digital soup: Become a Fan of the Nevada
The Nevada Wilderness Project is a catalyst Wilderness Project on Facebook
www.wildnevada.org
for wildlife habitat conservation, wilderness www.weethump.com Or real humans:
preservation, and smart development http://twitter.com/wildnevada 8550 White Fir Street
http://www.youtube.com/user/ Reno, NV 89523
of renewable energy. www.wildnevada.org nevadawilderness Ph: 775-746-7851

2. Colorful lichens. Photo by Woods Wheatcroft
Making Our Carbon Footprint NWP is
Go Barefoot Hosting the
Wild & Scenic
C arbon dioxide emissions, the principal cause of global warm-
ing, are an inevitable consequence of energy use. Every time
those of us here at NWP use electricity for lights, computers or a Environmental
really close shave (rare, but we do clean up once in while), addi-
tional carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere. To coun-
Film Festival
I
ter this, The Nevada Wilderness Project has taken steps to reduce up
t’s our 10th birthday, and
to 200 metric tons of carbon emissions in the current year.
we’ve been celebrating all
We partnered with TerraPass—an organization that helps busi- year ... but the biggest parties
nesses, groups and individuals calculate their carbon footprint—to are happening this fall, when we’ll be host-
measure our footprint and buy carbon offsets. A carbon offset is a ing the acclaimed Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival in
certificate representing the reduction of one metric ton (2,205 lbs) both Reno and Las Vegas. These independent films are inspiring,
of carbon dioxide emissions. If a company develops a project that positive stories about people around the world making a differ-
reduces carbon dioxide emissions, every ton of emissions reduced ence for conservation, green energy and their local communities.
results in the creation of one carbon offset. Project developers can
From cool to quirky to hilarious, shorts to longer features, this one-
then sell these offsets to finance their projects (a wind farm or solar
night film festival is appearing in 90 cities around the country—
project, for example.)
and we’ll be hosting it in Reno and Las Vegas.
Buying (or selling) off-
sets is no substitute In Reno:
for conservation and Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 7 pm
environmental stew- Joe Crowley Student Union, University of Nevada-Reno
ardship. Going through cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door ($8 with UNR student id)
the calculating process,
however, made us think
In Las Vegas – two nights:
about our everyday hab- Thursday, October 22, 2009, 7 pm
its and some solutions: Clark County Library
Bike to work more often. 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Carpool. No more elec- (702) 507-3400
tric razors. (ok – not that cost: free admission
any of us really have one, (Date and time for the second venue TBA)
but you get the idea). Tickets will be available in advance and at the door. There’s more
Check out TerraPass via information at www.wildnevada.org, or feel free to call: 775-746-
the link at the bottom 7851. National sponsors include Patagonia, Clif Bar, Osprey, Tom’s
of our homepage, www. of Maine and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Black bear tracks. Photo by Kurt Kuznicki wild nevada.org.

3. Never Enough
Gold Butte
O ne outing to Nevada’s “piece of the
Grand Canyon puzzle,” located north-
east of Las Vegas and near the town of Mes-
quite, and you’ll see why we’ve been work-
ing so long and so tenaciously to protect it.
Conde Nast Traveler magazine, in its July
issue, named Gold Butte one of “America’s
Forgotten Lands” and gave a shout out to
the unwavering work of Nancy Hall, NWP’s
Gold Butte Organizer, and Friends of Gold
Butte volunteers Roy and Betsy Miller.
Author Jim Robbins writes, “After a short
hike through rock-cobbled desert studded “Falling man” petroglyph, Gold Butte. Photo by Ron Hunter
with Joshua trees, we enter a small canyon
with red, brown, and gold walls. I’m pleas-
• A fast-growing population of new resi- introduced last year, but in the wake of the
antly surprised to realize that I am stand-
dents are visiting the area (this is a good economic crisis and federal budget, did not
ing in an aboriginal art gallery. Scratched
thing). More visitors mean a greater come to vote). We are hopeful this legisla-
and pecked into the desert varnish, the
need for interpretive materials, on-site tion will be introduced this fall. When that
dark mineral patina that covers the walls,
law enforcement, and new opportunities happens, we’ll be asking you to speak up
are mysterious symbols left by people who
for these visitors to become stewards of for this magnificent area, urge our congress
lived here a thousand years ago—spirals
Gold Butte. people to vote in favor of it, and make sure
and arrows and figures of humans, usually
Gold Butte stays wild and protected for
in panels with dozens of other figures.” NWP, Friends of Gold Butte and the Nevada
generations to come. Learn more at http://
Wilderness Coalition are working with
This is just a small taste of why Gold Butte friendsofgoldbutte.blogspot.com
elected Clark County officials, leaders in
needs Congress to designate it as Wilder-
Mesquite and Congresswoman Dina Titus’s
ness and National Conservation Area – so - Charlotte Overby, Communications Direc-
staff to craft legislation protecting Gold
the area gets the resources it deserves for tor, charlotte.overby@wildnevada.org
Butte. (You may recall that legislation was
better management, educational signage,
more law enforcement and a secure future. Please contact your Congressional Representative and ask them to support
Here are a few other reasons: legislation for the Gold Butte National Conservation Area with Wilderness.
• Vandals are destroying the area’s incred-
ible petroglyphs and rock art by painting, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Congressman Dean Heller Congresswoman Dina Titus
scratching or shooting at them. 2340 Paseo del Prado, Ste. D-106 600 Las Vegas Blvd., Suite 680 8215 S. Eastern Ave Suite 205
Las Vegas, NV 89102 Las Vegas, NV 89101 Las Vegas, NV 89123
• Unlawful ORV riders are cutting random Ph: 702-220-9823 (Las Vegas) Ph: 702-255-1651 (Las Vegas) Ph: 702-387-4941 (Las Vegas)
roads onto hillsides and across Native Ph: 202-225-5965 (Wash. DC) Ph: 202-225-6155 (Wash. DC) Ph: 202-225-3252 (Wash. DC)
American and early pioneer historical sites.
In Honor of National Public Lands Day
T he Nevada Wilderness Project and
Friends of Gold Butte are hosting an
event to get us outside and doing some-
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s
largest hands-on volunteer effort to
improve and enhance public lands. Last
thing positive for the public lands we all year, 120,000 volunteers built trails and
love. In Gold Butte, near the “falling man” bridges, removed trash and invasive plants,
site, volunteers are needed to install fenc- and planted over 1.6 million trees on our
ing to define appropriate parking near the nation’s public lands. Nevada has more
area, as well as to plant native plants along public land than any other state outside
a walking trail. Alaska, so our work is cut out for us. Find
out more and how you can get involved in
When: Saturday, September 26
other projects: http://www.publiclands-
Time & Place: Contact Friends of Gold day.org/
Butte for meeting places and car-pooling
Jumping for joy on our public lands. options at http://friendsofgoldbutte.
Photo by Woods Wheatcroft blogspot.com. Or call 702-346-3723

4. It Must be Fall… (Those 2010 Wild Men are Here!)
Wild Men of Wild Nevada
N WP’s annual Wild Men of Wild
Nevada Calendar is here and on
sale. Freshly put together by graphic
Nothing raunchy! - Just a good, clean
fundraising calendar with some of NWP’s
best volunteers who wanted to show a
2010
designer, artist and NWP volunteer little skin for the cause of wilderness pro-
Sophie Binder (please check out her work tection in their beloved Nevada. Take a
at www.sbinderdesigns.com), these cal- peak at www.wildnevada.org and order
endars feature 12 months, 12 naked men several today! Or call us at 775-746-7851.
and 12 beautiful Nevada wilderness areas
for your year-long viewing pleasure.
C A L E N D A R
Why is the Nevada Wilderness Project Involved with Sage Grouse
CALENDAR-cover.indd 1 7/31/09 9:31:43 PM
Conservation?
S age grouse are the largest of North
America’s prairie grouse species, and
their numbers are declining throughout
their range in the western U.S. and Can-
ada. Experts attribute a myriad of factors
to their decline, but the loss of critically
important sagebrush-dominated habitat
is perhaps the birds’ most significant chal-
lenge. Geographically speaking, Nevada
is important to sage grouse conservation
because it is comprised of 87 percent
public lands. The bird historically, and to
a lesser degree, currently, was distributed
throughout the sagebrush landscapes of
central and northern Nevada.
So where does NWP play a role in the con- restore sagebrush habitats, or research proj- and received the support of federal,
servation of this incredible native grouse ects to learn more about the bird in order to state, and local governments, along with
species? We recognize that protection and provide adequate protections. numerous other partners that aided in the
wise use of land will be a key factor in the The Nevada Department of Wildlife and development of these conservation plans.
continued existence of sage grouse. NWP a large cadre of conservation partners, NWP has chosen to lend our support and
also recognizes the need for and supports including the federal land management resources to this urgent effort to help this
green energy development in our state. agencies, have succeeded in completing important sagebrush icon of Nevada, its
We advocate “smart from the start” devel- conservation plans for sage grouse. A pre- native sage grouse.
opment of clean energy sources to satisfy scription for future sage grouse protection
future energy needs. Gregg Tanner, Rural Circuit Rider gregg.tan-
and conservation has been completed
ner@wildnevada.org
The challenge facing all of us is not to com-
promise those all-important sagebrush-
dominated landscapes, at the expense of
the bird, in order to develop and utilize
renewable energy.
The Nevada Wilderness Project is work-
ing to identify areas where future energy
development sites and energy transmission
infrastructure will likely impact sage grouse
habitats. We are working with other part-
ners in sage grouse conservation to identify
opportunities to mitigate the direct and
indirect alteration or loss of sage grouse
habitat through a variety of means. This may Pygmy rabbits and mule deer—in addition
involve advocacy for legislative land protec- to sage grouse—also depend on sagebrush
tion designations for important sage grouse habitat. Rabbit and sage grouse photos courtesy
habitat, pursuit of funding to improve and of U.S Fish & Wildlife Service. Mule deer photo by
Jim Boone (birdandhike.com)

5. Hiking in the North Pahroc range, looking east over Dry Lake and Delamar Valley—two solar development study sites. Photo by Ron Hunter
Seven “Fast-tracked” Solar Study Areas in the Silver State
Tome Acción! Passez à l’action! Harekete Geçin! Iverksett handling! Podjęcie działań!
Социологически изследвания! 采取行动! ... or in English: Take Action.
S cientists tell us that the next 10 years are critical for combat-
ing the effects of climate change; without a halt in the rise
in emissions, we lock in the worst of the effects. That’s why the
a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that will
assess impacts to the environment from every stage of the project:
the siting, development, operating and, eventually, the decommis-
Obama administration and Congress are scrambling for ways to sioning of these projects.
accelerate utility-scale (10 megawatts or larger) renewable energy
At the Nevada Wilderness Project, we think these are generally
projects on public lands.
good areas for in-depth study. We look at a number of factors
Recently, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar joined Senator Harry Reid when considering the suitability of project sites: state and federal
in Las Vegas to unveil 24 areas to evaluate for utility-scale solar biological data, whether the area is diminished by invasive spe-
energy development in six Western states: Arizona, California, cies, previous land use patterns and cultural resource information,
Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Seven of those 24 to name just a few of the filters we apply. We also try to take into
places are in Nevada: Amargosa Valley (32,699 acres), Dry Lake account the type of development that would occur, favoring those
(16,516 acres), Delamar Valley (17,932 acres), Dry Lake Valley North technologies that better suit the desert ecosystem (less water-
(49,775 acres), East Mormon Mountain (7,418 acres), Gold Point intensive photovoltaics are better than certain water-intensive
(5,830acres), and Millers (19,205 acres). These areas will undergo concentrated solar projects, for example.)
As we consider these factors, we also advocate for what we call
Millers “smart from the start” projects. These projects include conserva-
19,200 acres £
¤
6
! Tonopah
Dry Lake Pioche
tion mitigation, including funding mechanisms and landscape
Valley North ! protective designations (see the front page story from the Director
Esmeralda 49,770 acres Panaca
! on this issue). We think there are a number of good opportunities
Goldfield
!
!
for conservation mitigation on the areas chosen by the Depart-
Hiko Caliente
County !
ment of Interior.
Nye County
Gold Point Delamar Valley
5,829 acres
Alamo !
17,930 acres The public has until September 14 to comment on these areas.
Lincoln County Please take time to submit your comments to the BLM, and ask
£
¤
95 East
them to fully incorporate issues of wildlife, habitat, biological
£
¤
93 Mormon
Mountain diversity and mitigation in their study process. Mail them to:
! Beatty 7,418 acres
Amargosa Valley Clark County §
¨
¦ 15 Solar Energy PEISArgonne National Laboratory
32,700 acres
Indian Springs 9700 S. Cass Avenue EVS/900 Argonne, IL 60439
!
Dry Lake
16,520 acres You may also submit them online: http://solareis.anl.gov
Seven Proposed
Solar Study Areas
Pahrump
As we prepare our comments, we’ll post them on our website and
in Nevada !
! Las Vegas
encourage you to check out the details at www.wildnevada.org
!
Boulder City
for more information and how you can get involved.

6. T-shirts are 10 dollars in honor of our 10th birthday Out of coffee? – Don’t stress! You can order some from Grounds
We have great NWP t-shirts (organic cotton & fabulous designs!) for Change, a family-owned coffee-roasting business, specializing
on sale on our website, discounted to celebrate our birthday and in 100% Fair Trade, organic, delicious coffee. Plus, they’ll donate
to make sure they reach the backs of 15% of the sale to the Nevada
wilderness fans far and wide. Wilderness Project if you place
orders from NWP’s website. So
You can see more t-shirt photos
go to www.wildnevada.org
on www.wildnevada.org. Click
and click the “Join Us” tab, then
the “Join Us” tab and scroll down.
go to “Fun Things for Sale.”
I would like to make a contribution of (please check one): Name
• $35 $250 Address
• $50 • $500
• $100 • Other:
City
Please make checks payable to: Nevada Wilderness Project
Send your contribution and information to: State
Nevada Wilderness Project
Zip
8550 White Fir Street
Reno, NV 89523 E-mail
Or you may donate securely online at www.wildnevada.org
Phone
Thank you.
Tel: 775.746.7850
Reno, NV 89523
8550 White Fir Street
www.wildnevada.org
NEVADA WILDERNESS PROJECT
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