Hunters upset over proposed management changes at wildlife refuge

RENO, Nev. - Hunters have come out against certain proposed management changes for the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge near Fallon.

Clint Wells, president of the Nevada Waterfowl Association, said most hunters oppose a plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restrict boating at the 163,021-acre refuge.

Most hunters also fear the agency's proposal to assign a higher priority to bird watchers and education groups could lead to smaller hunting areas at the refuge, he said.

''What's wrong with the way we've been doing things out there for the last 50 years? There hasn't been a problem,'' Wells said.

''Our main thrust is that we're compatible with other users and there's no need to reduce hunting areas.''

But refuge manager Kim Hanson said his agency's preferred alternative would maintain hunting as a significant activity and would not change hunting boundaries.

The plan would establish a management priority of conserving and protecting native wildlife and their habitat in line with laws passed by Congress in the 1990s.

At the same time, it would enhance opportunities for compatible uses such as environmental education, wildlife observation and photography.

''Our feeling is we've done a lot to accommodate hunting and fishing, but not the other uses,'' Hanson said. ''So we're trying to balance our public uses. That's where some of our big changes will be.''

The Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comment through July 12 on four proposed management alternatives for the refuge 70 miles east of Reno.

The Lahontan Wetlands Coalition, which represents conservationists and hunters, hasn't taken a position yet. Members say they need more time to read the agency's voluminous report.

''What's the best fit for the birds is our goal,'' said coalition coordinator Tina Nappe. ''There will be differences, but I think we'll end up being compatible on the majority of issues.''

Wells' 1,200-member hunting group also hasn't taken a formal position.

All four alternatives would maintain a long-term average of 14,000 acres of wetland habitat within the refuge, a drop in the bucket compared with the historic average of 150,000 acres.

''We're trying to maintain a small portion of what was there (before upstream diversions of the Carson River for farming) and mimic the natural biodiversity that was out there,'' Hanson said.

To cut down on disturbance, the agency's preferred alternative calls for some hunting areas to be closed to boaters for the first time.

''We've found that 75 to 80 percent of our hunters walk in,'' Hanson said. ''We think a lot of hunters like a quiet, undisturbed hunt.''

Wells disagreed, saying most hunters use boats and don't want to see any boating restrictions. But he said hunters share the agency's goal of putting birds first at the refuge.

Hunters foresee no major conflict with other users because hunting is only allowed at the refuge from October to January when birds - and visitors - aren't as plentiful.

The refuge is a major stop on the Pacific Flyway for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each spring and fall. It attracts as many as 260 bird species, but hunters are drawn mainly by its ducks, geese and swans.