Two SNPLMA Projects Finished

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 15, No. 1, Summer 2015.

Snake Creek is one of the creeks involved in the Bonneville cutthroat trout SNPLMA project.

NPS Photo

By Ben Roberts, Chief of Natural Resource Management

Great Basin National Park successfully closed out two Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA)- funded projects this spring. SNPLMA became law in October 1998 and allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell public land within a specific boundary around Las Vegas, Nevada. The revenue derived from land sales is split between the State of Nevada General Education Fund (5%), the Southern Nevada Water Authority (10%), and a special account available to the Secretary of the Interior for:

• Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas
• Capital Improvements
• Conservation Initiatives
• Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan
• Environmentally Sensitive Land Acquisitions
• Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Wildfire Prevention
• Eastern Nevada Landscape Restoration Project
• Lake Tahoe Restoration Projects

The Round 11 Conservation Agreement and Conservation Strategy for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in the State of Nevada (2006) (CA/CS) was funded to prevent the listing of Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT; Oncorhynchus clarki utah) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Working cooperatively, Great Basin National Park, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife completed the objectives of the CA/CS which include: 1) manage for a minimum of 14 conservation populations in Nevada, and 2) eliminate the threats to BCT in Nevada that may warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA.

As of December 2014, of the original 14 populations, nine populations are stable (Big Wash Creek, Deadman Creek, Deep Canyon Creek, Hendry’s Creek, Mill Creek, Smith Creek, Goshute Creek, Pine and Ridge Creeks, and Deep Creek), three have improved (South Fork of Big Wash, South Fork of Baker Creek, and Strawberry Creek) one population has declined (Snake Creek, due to the presence of non-native brook trout) and one population has been lost (Hampton Creek, due to a fire in the summer of 2014). One additional population was discovered (Willard Creek) and one additional population will be restored in summer 2015 (Silver Creek).

Another project that was recently completed was Sagebrush Steppe and Aspen Restoration in the South Snake Range, a Round 11 project. The park partnered with the Schell Office of the Ely District BLM. This project met multiple objectives of the SNPLMA Strategic Plan Goal 2: Conserve and Restore the Quality of the Outdoor Environment by Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources and Enhancing Recreational Opportunities. The park successfully treated 250 acres of upland habitat, treated 25 acres of riparian habitat, and inventoried 690 acres of total habitat. The park also surveyed 1,713 acres for cultural resources. In addition, the park treated 164 acres of non-Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) hazardous fuels and 111 of acres of WUI hazardous fuels to meet Sub-objective 2.4.1 - Reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.