Last year, the Nevada Department of Wildlife's Game Bureau Chief Russ Mason was quoted as saying "These [2006 wildland] fires are an environmental disaster for the state of Nevada. That is not an overstatement. We are losing habitat year after year, with no end in sight." Unfortunately, fires in 2007 have thus far proven Mason correct.

Year-to-date wildland fires have consumed approximately 341,000 acres in Nevada, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

Tens of thousands of acres are burning every day. In Elko County alone, 300,000 acres have burned. Since 1999 over six million acres of sagebrush habitat has been lost to 8,233 wildfires in Nevada. The future of the charred habitat and its wildlife inhabitants is bleak.

The following describes significant wildland fires to-date. Each of these fires affects habitat for Nevada wildlife species.

Tungsten Fire in the Eugene Mountains: 61,000 acres lost, mostly in lower elevations, affecting mule deer, sage grouse and chukar.

Adrian Valley Fire, Pine Nut Mountains: about 18,000 acres affected at time of this report. Four small capacity water developments (guzzlers) have been lost, likely some sage grouse habitat in upper elevations has been lost, an estimated 40-50 pronghorn likely to be displaced.

Highway 93 complex fire, east and southeast of Jackpot: about 50,000 acres. Burn area is affecting area previously burned in 2000, which already impacted 50 sage grouse breeding grounds (leks).

Currently the fire has burned through the largest sage grouse strutting ground in the Gollagher Population Management Unit (PMU) and has also impacted intact sagebrush habitats along the west face of Gollagher Mountain. Year- round sage grouse, mule deer, antelope and elk habitats were lost in the current fire.

Thomas Fire- Sonoma Range: This fire has re-burned several major drainages on the western slopes of the Sonoma Range, with 22,000 acres lost at the time of this report.

Riparian areas were destroyed and fish kills have been observed in the Water and Thomas Creek areas. Pronghorn, mule deer, and chukar have been displaced by this fire.

Barth Fire, west of Carlin: Burned 11,000 acres of critically important deer winter range.

Bob's Flat No. 3, west of Carlin: Burned 8,000 acres and is still burning. This area has burned multiple times since 1999. It is critical winter deer range, and part of NDOW's rehabilitation areas have been burned.

Hunter Fire, located between the Hunter Banks Ranch and the Carlin tunnels: Burned 2,000 acres, impacting intact sagebrush habitats on the south end of the Adobe Range. This is critical winter range for mule deer and antelope, with some sage grouse use.

Hepworth Complex northwest of Wells: This fire complex is estimated at 42,000 acres and is 60 percent contained. This is a significant sage grouse lek and brooding area.

Winecup Complex northeast of Wells: Burned 16,617 acres and is estimated at 40 percent contained. This area has been productive for many species, including sage grouse, antelope, deer and elk.

Boo Hoo Complex southwest of Carlin: Burned 15,000 acres and is 10 percent contained.

Red House Complex west of Elko: Burned 30,000 acres and is 5 percent contained. This area is Important sage grouse habitat and deer winter range.

Sansinena Fire west of Carlin: Burned approximately 10,000 acres. Important sage brush habitat has been consumed in this critical deer habitat.

Red House Complex west of Elko: Estimated at 30,000 acres and 5 percent contained. This land is important in supporting sage grouse and deer.Decreased intervals between fires, invasive weeds, and the uncertainty of rehabilitation efforts will affect wildlife and those recreating in Nevada for decades.

Areas of critically important mule deer transition and winter range and important sage grouse nesting and brood rearing habitat have been lost. In addition, chukar and pronghorn have been affected.

"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 Nevada Department of Wildlife). Biodiversity is affected when these natural cycles are disrupted.

"We are now seeing fire return intervals on the order of 10 to 20 years - 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.

"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 after a fire in order to out-compete cheat grass. Even then, the odds for sagebrush re-growth are low." he said.

"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," he said.

"Those are the sites we're concentrating on. South facing slopes will predominantly convert to a cheatgrass environment," Espinosa said. He noted that even when sage brush areas are reseeded, the overall germination rate is only about 20%.

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 numerous strutting grounds, used for mating.

"Over the past few years their nesting and critical brood-rearing habitat has been lost as well," said Espinosa. "We've effectively lost these habitats for the next 30-50 years - conservatively," he said.

The loss of critical deer winter range is being assessed, and the outlook is poor there as well. Areas burned were host to a number 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.

After last summer's fires in Elko, the department put satellite tracking collars on 10 mule deer to track their movements. The information will help wildlife biologists learn how burned areas affect the deer's journeys from summer to winter ranges. The data will also provide information to guide rehabilitation efforts to increase survival rates.