265 



Senator Hecht. Thank you very much. Okay, Fred Wright? 



STATEMENT OF FRED WRIGHT, LEGISLATIVE AND ISSUES REP- 

 RESENTATIVE, NEVADA WILDLIFE FEDERATION, INC., RENO, 



NV 



Mr. Wright. Thank you. Senator. Nice to see you again. 



Senator Hecht. Good to see you. Thank you for coming. 



Mr. Wright. I would like to thank you and Chairman Bumpers 

 for holding this forum. I would like to address both bills. 



Senator Hecht. OK. 



Mr. Wright. And I am going to read a statement that I have 

 shortened in deference to time. 



Senator Hecht. Good. 



Mr. Wright. For the record, I am Fred Wright, legislative and 

 issues representative of the Nevada Wildlife Federation, a state- 

 wide sports and conservation organization and affiliate of the Na- 

 tional Wildlife Federation. 



We are here today to discuss the wildlife issue. We are not 

 taking up the issues of land values or the method of performing 

 the transfer, should it occur. 



In each debate over the Aerojet exchange that I have attended, 

 wildlife is a controversial concern, that includes claims of dire 

 impact. The issues that we will briefly cover are the national and 

 Nevada wildlife ramification, the tradeoffs of economic diversifica- 

 tion, and we have several recommendations to offer. 



Concerning the national aspects, wildlife resources in Florida 

 should benefit in that the Fish and Wildlife Service will ultimately 

 be able to add to the National Wildlife Refuge System. 



Our organization knows that as one of the fastest-growing states, 

 percentage-wise, and being predominantly a public lands state, 

 with minimum acreages on the tax roll, the change has to occur. 



Further, we recognize Nevada's emphasis on economic diversifi- 

 cation. Our mission, therefore, is to see that the wildlife resources 

 receive a fair consideration as we move in that economic direction. 



The actions that Aerojet agrees to take or will permit to be taken 

 will result in reasonable mitigation and enhancement of wildlife 

 values. Bighorn sheep, upland game birds, and their watering de- 

 vices on-site and off-site have been addressed. 



Extraction of ground water and its possible impacts upon wild- 

 life, particularly endangered fish, and other water interests is the 

 responsibility of the State Engineer first, and it falls under the 

 state water laws for administration. 



The primary loss from our point of interest is no further public 

 use of the 42,000 plus acres of Coyote Spring Valley. The tradeoff 

 will be economic benefit to Lincoln and Clark County, and hopeful- 

 ly new employment opportunities for Lincoln County residents. 



The desert tortoise stands to gain under the proposal. While 

 Nevada does not consider the tortoise to be threatened or endan- 

 gered, some populations are in decline. Factors bearing upon the 

 species are human encroachment on their habitat, livestock graz- 

 ing, abusive off-road vehicle use, highway mortalities, collecting 

 and holding reptiles as pets. 



