Protecting Western Wildlife Corridors

Conservation initiatives in the 2008 Farm Bill could help animals safely migrate across western states, according to a report by the Environmental Defense Fund.

The report encourages state agencies and groups to take measures to protect wildlife corridors - areas with natural vegetation that provide animals with a safe passageway when moving or migrating between habitats.

The Farm Bill includes a Conservation Reserve Program that could help restore wildlife corridors, which enable animals to migrate and interbreed. In western states, salmon, elk, migratory birds, ocelot, sage grouse and countless other species use wildlife corridors to move across landscape.

The bill could provide tens of millions of dollars to protecting corridors if conservation groups and state agencies take advantage of its provisions, the report said. Among the report's recommendations:

• Reward land management practices, such as modifying or removing fences, that protect wildlife corridors
• Use Farm Bill programs to create wildlife-friendly fence designs and reduce fencing when feasible for ranchers and farmers
• Focus resources from the Farm Bill's programs toward creating and preserving wildlife corridors

--Catherine Ho

Photo: Sage grouse near Reno, Nevada. Credit: Nevada Department of Wildlife

Comments

[Austin]

I agree with Sheila. As an example I wish to cite the LADWP's proposed "Green Path North" transmission line. This line could be routed along Interstate 10 but the LADWP has been insisting on a circuitous route through 85 miles of Desert to better fit their "business model" (which they admit means wanting to own the transmission capacity rather than renting it).

This line would cross 15 miles of the Big Morongo Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Construction would take over a year and include massive grading, road widening, and devegetation. This path crosses scientifically established wildlife corridors between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Berardino Mountains -- corridors essential for the well-being of bighorn sheep, mountain lions, mule deer, and other species. These corridors are already being pinched by development, and the community of Morongo Valley and San Bernardino County have recognized thier importance, refusing to re-zone private lands for higher density in these corridors. All this will be for nothing if the LADWP has its way.

I encourage citizens of Los Angeles to let Mayor Villaraigosa and David Nahai know that this is too great a price to pay for "green" energy. Let them know that forcing others (the Desert region) to pay the true cost of meeting LA's power needs is the real "NIMBYism". Encourage them to find less destructive ways of greening LA's grid.

[sheila]

thanks for posting on this. i was really disturbed to see that their whole emphasis was on bribing private landowners to leave their land pristine, while public lands continue to be destroyed for private profits. this seems incredibly backwards, and is just another way to back-door money to Big Energy, Big Landowners and Big Agra, while keeping REAL solutions, like preserving our public lands and putting solar panels on urban rooftops from getting any press. that would save all these animals, all the open spaces, and ratepayer/taxpayer billions, but we never hear about it because there is not any profit in it for those who own our government and media. very disturbing.