LETTER: What about the wildlife in the California fires?

The horrific California wildfires have been the subject of a tremendous amount of reporting. There have been stories about everything from the decline in tourists, the roads available for evacuation, the number of structures burned, air quality and the causes of these blazes.

However, we have seen virtually no coverage from any media outlet on the enormous impact to wildlife, which will have a spillover effect in Nevada thanks to our long, common border. It is as if wildlife hold no importance.

With nonprofit animal rescue groups never properly funded because they rely on intermittent donations, coping with such widespread devastation becomes extremely difficult. Untold thousands of creatures have met a miserable death. Those who survive will find little forage in areas that have been temporarily rendered inert and unfit for habitation. They must use their survival skills in migrating to areas untouched by the fires where they might start a new life.

Lest any Nevadan think this is of no consequence to their personal well-being, without a healthy natural environment and ecosystem, human life becomes untenable on our planet. When bees disappear, so do the pollinators of vegetation that feed into the food supply system humans rely upon. The natural world’s high connectivity between species has been seriously disrupted by the fires.

I hope government officials will be taking steps and committing financial resources to help the land and its wildlife inhabitants recover from the fire disasters. So far none of these officials or their agencies has visibly acted based on zero reports of their activities.