Several communities across rural Nevada will benefit from awards made this week by the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as they allocate nearly $3.6 million in Conserve Nevada grant funding.
The Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area will benefit as funding is used to remove Tamarisk, a recognized noxious weed, along with the creation of a trail system adjacent to the community of Beatty to enhance outdoor recreation tourism and provide economic benefits to local businesses.
Eleven applicants were selected to receive funding for the projects this year, including:
- Expanding wildlife habitat in the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area.
- Acquiring property in Washoe County to safeguard the endangered Steamboat buckwheat.
- Repairing flood damage along the Carson River corridor.
- Establishing Conservation Easements in Washoe Valley and Carson City to protect forest health and wildlife habitat.
- Improving ADA accessibility through trail upgrades and enhancing wetland habitat at the Henderson Bird Viewing Park.
- Constructing the Canepa Ranch Trailhead in Washoe County to provide recreational access to the Truckee River.
- Establishing a trail system adjacent to the community of Beatty to enhance outdoor recreation tourism and provide economic benefits to local businesses.
- Creating a Master Plan for the Douglas County Fairgrounds to enhance the facility and meet the needs of the community.
- Rebuilding the Upper Meadow Loop portion of the Tahoe Meadows Boardwalk.
- Removing Tamarisk, a State of Nevada-recognized noxious weed, from the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area.
- Developing over 100 miles of trails within the Las Vegas BLM Redrock Canyon National Conservation Area.
For the past ten years, NDCNR has been using the Conservation Bond funding for initiatives aimed at the preservation, protection, and enhancement of Nevada’s natural and cultural heritage. Projects have included the bike bypass path at Lake Tahoe as well as campground improvements at the Valley of Fire and Big Bend in Laughlin.
Conserve Nevada was originally called Q1 funding and is an extension of that program created through Assembly Bill 84 passed by the Nevada Legislature in 2019. The legislation provided a continuation ad renewal of the State’s original conservation bond program, formerly known as the Conservation Bond Program, or Q1 after the ballot question that was originally passed in 2002.
Through the Conserve Nevada program, $217.5 million in bond proceeds will be leveraged to provide $77.5 million in grants to nonprofits, local/county governments, and other agencies for projects to enhance recreational trails and facilities, acquire and protect environmentally sensitive land, improve river corridors and watersheds, improve wildlands to reduce fire risk, and protection of Nevada’s historic and cultural resources.
There will also be $50 million used for projects at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, Clark County Wetlands Park, the Lower Las Vegas Wash, and the Las Vegas Valley Rim Trail, $60 million for Nevada Division of State Parks and Nevada Department of Wildlife for improvements to wildlife habitat, wildlife facilities, and Nevada State Parks, $30 million will be provided to the Nevada Division of Museums for improvements at Nevada’s Museums, including expansion of the Boulder City Railroad Museum and improvements at the East Ely Depot Museum.
An interactive map is available at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0f111fa3f1b2441e9233f1b44a3eac72
NDCNR Director, James Settelmeyer explains that the conservation bond funding is pivotal in preserving and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the state for over two decades.
"This grant funding supports the creation of fire-resilient landscapes, protection of rivers and wetlands, preservation of historic and cultural resources, and development of outdoor recreation opportunities for Nevadans and visitors to our great state,” he said. “We extend our gratitude to our partners and public leaders for their steadfast support of the Conserve Nevada Program, which will contribute to a healthy and vibrant Nevada for generations to come."
Since 2002, the Conserve Nevada Program, a part of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, has funded more than 200 projects in every county across the state, resulting in more than 100 miles of new recreational trails and over 53,000 acres conserved for open space, as well as improvements to all of Nevada’s 27 state parks and 13 Wildlife Management Areas, and increased conservation and habitat restoration.
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