natural resources

RENO — During the COVID-19 crisis, small-business owners need additional support and guidance, as well as opportunities to talk with other small-business owners. University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering virtual question-and-answer “Coping With COVID-19 Town Halls” for small businesses every Wednesday, and webinars on specific topics for small businesses every Friday.

The weather is warming up quickly across Nevada, making it a perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. Fitness experts recognize how beneficial physical activity is to mental health, especially in light of the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting outdoors is a great way to get active, synthesize vitamin D with controlled sun exposure, improve memory and concentration and promote a general sense of well being.

RENO — The forest of the Sierra Nevada mountains is an important resource for the surrounding communities in Nevada and California. Thinning the forest by removing trees by hand or using heavy machinery is one of the few tools available to manage forests.

Editor’s Note: This week's guest writer is Bridget Gordon-Johnson. She is a counselor at Carson High School. This is her report.

Staying connected to students, virtually, is the biggest challenge every educator is facing right now. Teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors, administrators, school secretaries, custodians, and everyone for that matter is missing the energy and life students bring to our worlds.

To protect the health and safety of park visitors and staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathedral Gorge State Park, including Miller Point, will be fully closed, effective April 16, until further notice. The park will be closed to the public for all activities, including camping and day-use.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is implementing fire restrictions earlier than usual this year to reduce the number of human-caused fires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic.

The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the 2020-2021 county’s Tentative Budget on April 1, 2020. The County Manager and Comptroller have recommended the budget with no salary increases and a projected 6.6% ending fund balance which is lower than the 16.67% authorized by Nevada Revised Statutes.

The County Manager also recommended that the Board not fund any of the 35.8 positions requested by the various departments including:

24 Personnel for the Sheriff’s Office
1 Information Systems Technician
1 Community Development Director
1 Public Works Director

Nevada is home to more than 150 plant species that live exclusively in our state, including the Tiehm buckwheat, a rare desert wildflower that is only known to exist in particular geologic conditions in the Silver Peak Range of Esmeralda County.

On February 28, NV Energy filed its Natural Disaster Protection Plan with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada per Senate Bill 329, that outlines how the company plans to help protect the public from the impacts of natural disasters on its electric infrastructure that have been experienced in other Western states.

Retired Carson City teacher and longtime animal welfare advocate Lisa Schuette has announced her candidacy for Carson City Supervisor Ward 4. She is running for the seat currently held by John Barrette who is not seeking another term.

The Carson River Coalition in conjunction with the Carson Water Subconservancy District invites you to the 2020 Carson River Watershed Management Forum. This year’s forum will be a 2-day event at Marlette Hall, Cedar Building, Western Nevada College, Carson City.

• Tuesday, March 10, 2020: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Day 1 events will focus on water quality and watershed health from our science and land management partners.

• Wednesday, March 11, 2020, 9 am – 4:30 pm

Holley, Driggs, Walch, Fine, Puzey, Stein & Thompson law firm proudly announces the promotion of three attorneys to shareholders from its Las Vegas and Reno offices. Effective Jan. 1, 2020, attorneys Andrea Gandara, Audrey Damonte and John Savage, join the Firm’s board of shareholders, offering a broad range of experience in bankruptcy, commercial litigation, administrative law, estate planning, probate and tax law.

Each have been key contributors to the Firm's continued growth, locally and across the region, with a dedication to strengthening its ongoing community endeavors.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. — Construction is set to begin in late May on the renovation and re-imagination of facilities at Spooner Lake State Park west of Carson City. A collaboration between Nevada State Parks, Nevada State Lands and the Tahoe Fund has been successful in securing funding and donations to complete plans for the 35-year-old park.

Carson City is at the center of a legal dispute following its refusal to allow hemp to be grown on property in the Buzzys Ranch area in East Carson City. Tahoe Hemp is suing for $15 million in damages citing the city broke its agreement with the Jarrard Family Trust, which gives rights to the family to use the property for agricultural purposes.

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Thursday the appointment of Colin Robertson as its first Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation administrator.

County managers representing Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, Churchill and Mineral counties gathered Wednesday in Carson City as a part of Northern Nevada Development Authority's annual “State of the Counties” meeting.

The Nevada Division of Forestry is currently seeking pre-proposals for two competitive grant programs: Landscape Scale Restoration and State Fire Assistance.

greenUP!, a nonprofit organization that provides environmental education to businesses, announced it has received a $12,898 grant from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Bureau of Sustainable Materials Management 2020 Recycling Grant Program.

Carson High School Senior Cade Crookshanks, 17, has been selected by the Nevada Section of the Society for Range Management to participate in the High School Youth Forum, a SRM sponsored youth activity held jointly during the 73 Annual SRM meeting. The meeting will be held in Denver, Colo., Feb. 16-20, 2020.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe are set to release 22 bighorn sheep Monday to the Lake Range on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in a historic project between NDOW and the Tribe to reintroduce the species to the mountains surrounding Pyramid Lake where they once thrived.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is pleased to announce the arrival of our new Forest Fire Management Officer, Carrie Thaler. Thaler comes to the Lake Tahoe Basin from the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Las Vegas, where she held the position of District FMO for the last four years.

The Nature Conservancy in Nevada, in partnership with the Nevada Division of Natural Heritage and the Desert Research Institute, recently completed the Nevada Wetland Rapid Assessment Method, a draft assessment protocal developed as a product of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant awarded to NDNH.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is excited to announce that Zachary Ormsby has been hired as the new Program Manager for the Nevada Conservation Districts Program. As NCDP’s Program Manager, Ormsby will work with Nevada’s 28 conservation districts to help advance natural resource conservation and management throughout the State’s diverse rural and urban landscapes.

On Friday, Gov. Sisolak signed an Executive Order directing state agencies to develop and implement a robust climate strategy in Nevada. The Nature Conservancy applauds Governor Sisolak and his effort to advance comprehensive climate action in Nevada.

Eco-friendly fashion statements abound in Nevada and in the capital city as the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s Recycling Program announced the winners Tuesday of the 2019 Wearable Recyclables art contest.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on Monday announced the appointment of Heidi Swank as the inaugural Administrator for NDCNR’s new Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation.

Cleaner transportation means cleaner air for all Nevadans. Over the past year, Nevada’s share of Volkswagen Settlement funds have been invested in projects that are helping the Silver State drive towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.

CARSON CITY — Commencing this month, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be undertaking a comprehensive review to determine if enhanced protection under state law is needed for the rare Tiehm buckwheat, a native plant species that lives exclusively within the Silver Peak Range in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

It’s official. On Thursday, Nevada joined the “Confluence of States,” a coalition of 16 bipartisan states centered on a set of shared principles, common values, and best practices surrounding outdoor recreation and conservation.

CARSON CITY — Wetlands are the link between land and water, where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to create highly productive ecosystems with unique plant and animal life.

In broad terms, wetlands refer to all wet areas that provide ecosystem services and habitat for plants, wildlife, and aquatic species, including wet meadows, seeps and springs, playas, and riparian areas.