Clark County ranks high on list with imperiled species

Thursday, Jan. 13, 2005 | 9:10 a.m.

SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- Clark County had the second highest number of species imperiled by development among the nation's 35 fastest-growing large metropolitan counties, according to a new study.

The top county was San Diego County with 99 imperiled species, followed by Clark with 97, according to "Endangered By Sprawl," a 68-page report compiled by the National Wildlife Federation, Smart Growth America, and NatureServe.

A distressing number of forests, wetlands, grasslands and farms have been plowed under to construct subdivisions, shopping malls and roads, which threatens wildlife, the report said. In the 35 counties, up to 60 percent of the remaining open space on non-federal land will be developed in the next 25 years at current growth rates, the report said. And up to 60 percent of the nation's rare and endangered species are found in those 35 counties, the report said. Among the species at risk are the mountain plover and alkali mariposa lily in Clark County, the report said.

But with careful planning, humans can have both development and protected habitats for wildlife, the authors concluded.

The report recommends more aggressive federal and state resource and transportation policies that protect wildlife. Among the recommendations: set urban growth boundaries and build reliable local funding sources to protect species.

"The bottom line is, we live where the wild things are," report co-author Reid Ewing, University of Maryland urban studies professor said. "We need to do a better job of accommodating the natural environment along with the human environment."

Clark County and federal officials in recent years have made strides to protect wildlife, although environmentalists say more must be done. As part of the 1998 Clark County Land Management Act, the Interior Department sells federal land in the county for development, but then uses some of the proceeds to buy and preserve endangered lands.