Since 1999, more than three million acres of sagebrush habitat alone have been lost because of wildfires in Nevada. That's an area the size of the state of Connecticut.

The future of the charred habitat and that of its inhabitants is bleak, according to a report on the Nevada Department of Wildlife Web site (www.ndow.org). Increased fire intervals, invasive species, and uncertain rehabilitation success will affect wildlife and those recreating in Nevada's wild lands for decades.

In north-central Nevada, the Winters Fire this past week destroyed nearly 240,000 acres of sage brush communities, much of which was mule deer winter or transition habitat.

Over the past 10 years, the capacity to support nearly 15,000 deer has been lost due to fire and the associated increases in cheatgrass.

"These fires are an environmental disaster for the state of Nevada," said Russ Mason, the game bureau chief for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. "That is not an overstatement. We are losing habitat year after year, with no end in sight."

"Historically, fire intervals are between 100 and 150 years in these areas, and for some sagebrush environments in lower elevations, 200 to 300 years," said Shawn Espinosa, wildlife biologist for the department. Biodiversity is affected when these natural cycles are disrupted.

"We are now seeing fire return intervals on the order of 10 to 20 years <!-- 2013(unknown) --> so the cheatgrass fire cycle is perpetuating itself," he said. "More frequent fires preclude sagebrush seedlings that would come back after a fire from ever establishing," said Espinosa.

One of the factors affecting fire intervals is invasive species. In particular, non-native cheatgrass seems to have evolved to obliterate Nevada's native vegetation. Cheatgrass is so named because it matures early and cheats native grasses, which emerge later, out of essential water and nutrients before the heat of summer sets in.

It matures early and dries out early, creating fuel for fires. And it carries fire across areas between shrubs that would normally be bare.

Another factor in the size and frequency of fires is the health of the sagebrush, which has been compromised by the agora moth.

The moth feeds on sagebrush, often resulting in the weakening or death of the sagebrush, making it a fuel source for the fire.

Ken Gray, a wildlife biologist in Elko County, said "Sagebrush has been dying in Elko County since 2000 and the areas with significant amounts of dead or dying sagebrush now cover thousands upon thousands of acres."

"The potential for successful restoration is limited," said Espinosa. Governmental agencies need to have luck on their side in the form of good precipitation, and the seeding must occur during the first year in order to out-compete cheat grass. Even then, the odds for sagebrush re-growth are low.

"We've seen sagebrush seed response in certain aspects -- such as north facing slopes out of direct, all-day sunlight -- and at certain elevations conducive for it to grow," said Espinosa. "Those are the sites we're concentrating on. South facing slopes will predominantly convert to a cheatgrass environment.

He noted that even when sage brush areas are reseeded, the overall germination rate is only about 20 percent.

With the basic fabric of the habitat changing, this doesn't bode well for a lot of Nevada's wildlife species.

Sage grouse, a native species whose numbers are threatened, have lost about 57 strutting grounds, used for mating, to fires in Elko County in the past two years. The area affected by the last two years of wildfire was home to approximately 4,000 sage grouse.

"Their nesting and brood-rearing habitat, also critical, has been lost as well," said Espinosa. "We've effectively lost these habitats for the next 30-50 years -- conservativel.,"

The loss of critical deer winter range is being assessed, and the outlook is poor there as well. Areas burned were host to a host of species which will all suffer from the loss of habitat, including sage-dependent species like sage thrasher, vesper sparrow, and pygmy rabbit, as well as Lahontan cutthroat trout and a whole host of upland game species.

Espinosa cautions hunters to do some research before taking to the field. Some traditional areas for upland game hunting will be blackened, and a little research could prevent a lot of disappointment.

The department expects that some hunts will be affected, and will evaluate the situation and provide affected hunters detailed information by the end of summer.