David E. Moore Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary
Nevada Land Trust acquired the initial 400-acre David E. Moore wildlife sanctuary through a donation as a gift from Mrs. Ilo Mae Moore in 1999 to preserve the abundant bird and wildlife habitat within the oasis created by Lehman and Baker Creeks next to Great Basin National Park. The sanctuary lies in a transition zone where the pinyon-juniper forests of the Great Basin foothills meet the desert shrub community. Two perennial streams converge on the site, providing wet meadows and permanent surface water where livestock was once confined. An additional 34 acres was added to the Sanctuary in 2015 thanks to a generous gift from David and Roberta Moore.
The adjacent lands are a combination of private and public such as Great Basin National Park, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Forest Service. As a part of the BLM Ely Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement, surrounding lands between the town of Baker and the entrance to the park are proposed to be withdrawn from surface and mineral entry.
The sanctuary is on the site of the historic Circle M Ranch and the land is recovering from decades of grazing and other domestic uses. The entire site is set aside for nature conservation.
Because the Moore Sanctuary was established to protect wildlife, the future of the area is largely secured for birds. However, active management is required to protect the area from extrinsic factors like invasive plants.
The sanctuary provides a rich, mixed bird community characteristic of this transitional zone. Most noteworthy is a population of Long-billed Curlews and Pinyon Jays. The Greater Sage Grouse was once common here and efforts are underway to restore first the habitat and then the bird to this site. The property is dominated by single needle pinyon pine and Utah juniper with an understory of Wyoming big sage, rabbit brush, snakeweed, and various grasses and forbs. In addition to birds, area wildlife includes coyotes, jackrabbits, cottontails, and mule deer.
Visitors are welcome to stroll around the Moore Sanctuary. A pull-out and parking area is located on the south side of NV 488 between Baker and the entrance to Great Basin National Park. Look for the Moore Sanctuary signs as well as IBA signs posted along the fence line.