The Fish, Frogs, and Snakes Census at Edwards Air Force Base Could Cost Taxpayers $1.9 Million

Just how many reptiles, amphibians, and fish live on the property of the Edwards Air Force Base in California will be determined by spending up to $1.9 million on a census.

The Department of Defense will fund the grant at the Air Force base, spread over Kern, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties “to provide base-wide inventory” of reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Considered a grant for “Conservation and Rehabilitation of Natural Resources on Military Installations,” it awards around $311,512 at first, with additional funding in subsequent years, up to $1.9 million total.

The base encompasses more than 300,000 acres in the Antelope Valley and is in the western Mojave Desert, where fish and wildlife program management focus on conserving the habitat.

The native wildlife includes lots of invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals that are adapted to various desert habitats on base, according to the grant summary.

“Periodic fauna surveys are conducted to determine fauna presence, trends, and viability of various animal species. Long-term monitoring is a fundamental aspect of adaptive management to determine the overall health of the ecosystem and allow a focused and cost-effective monitoring program,” the grant states.

The DOD is looking for field technicians who have at least five years of experience conducting point count surveys and who are able to “accurately identify riparian birds by sight and audibly and estimate distance and direction using common field instruments,” among other things.

Protecting animals in their native habitats is important but spending $1.9 million on a census is for the birds.

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