Habitat

When the Nevada State Board of Wildlife Commissioners met recently in Las Vegas, its members tackled an agenda that included the establishment of big game hunting seasons for 2014 into 2015, including several “antlerless elk management” hunts that allow for combination deer and cow elk tags, combination bull elk and cow elk tags, spike elk hunts and Nevada’s fourth bear hunt.

Also on the agenda was the removal of fishing tackle restrictions on certain spans of the Truckee River.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Bootstraps Program has received the 2013 Partners in Conservation Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, one of only 20 programs across the nation to receive this award for achievements in conservation of natural resources that include collaborative activity among a diverse range of entities.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Jan. 30 through Feb. 4, 2014. The snow is a welcome relief for drought conditions affecting the regional water ways. We hope it continues.

While the short-term forecast shows a change this week from the overall stubborn pattern of warm and dry conditions over the region, the drought for this part of the far west is severe and unless we get a lot of snow in the coming few weeks, we're going to face much more serious issues this coming summer.

For years now, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has been telling the public to not feed wildlife. While there are many reasons why you should never feed wildlife, NDOW would like to point out the newest addition to the list: feeding big game mammals is now against the law.

Nevada Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller jointly released a discussion draft Friday of the Nevada Sagebrush Landscape Conservation and Economic Development Act. The proposal would conserve sage-grouse habitat in Nevada while providing economic development opportunities to industries and local governments throughout the state.

I still remember my first mountain bike ride. It was back in 1985 at my local BMX shop. The owner showed us the new bike he just got, a big-wheeled, fat-tired bike with low gearing. Our small-wheeled BMX bikes were limited to firmer terrain, and you had push them up the steeper hills.

Via the Bike Habitat:
With the 2013 Cycling season nearly complete, I have decided to host a Store-wide Sale. While everything in the store will be on sale, the Sale features great deals on 2013 model year bikes. Some Bikes are special markdowns, and some are opportunity buys from bike supplier overstock. I made some great purchases and I am passing on the savings. The Sale also features big discounts on summer clothing, helmets, shoes, tires & tubes, parts and accessories.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Nov. 13. Friday, Nov. 15 is the last day to fish in most California waterways. Go here to learn more. Opening day for California fishing is the last Saturday in April.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Nov. 6-12.

The reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act was introduced Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives, following the Senate’s introduction of the bill in August.

The legislation, sponsored by Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei, co-sponsored by California Representative John Garamendi, and Nevada Representatives Joe Heck, Dina Titus, and Steven Horsford, would continue another 10 years of federal government investment in the Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.

Logs, stumps and limbs piled across 565 acres of public land in eight Carson Ranger District project areas of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will be burned in the coming weeks, the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday.

Residents to the north, south, east and west of Carson City can expect heavy, dense smoke in the pile burn areas that will cause impacts, albeit short term, on air quality levels. Prescribed burn notices have been posted near homes and subdivisions, alerting occupants about the planned prescribed fire operations.

As the Columbus Day weekend began in western Nevada, high-profile black bear activity in west Reno grabbed most of the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s attention. While west Reno is still experiencing bear sightings, the west side of Carson City, Yerington and the outskirts of Gardnerville have all joined the “fun” with bear activity of their own.

Have you ever thought about giving hunting a try? Well in the past if you wanted to try your hand at hunting you were required to take an eight hour hunter education course; purchase a hunting license and whatever stamps were necessary; figure out the correct gear you need for your hunt and then find someone to show you the ropes. It’s how hunting works in Nevada, but it does tend to scare off the casual observer who is not totally convinced that hunting is for them. That’s where the Apprentice Hunting License comes in.

A draft environmental impact statement to conserve, restore and enhance habitat for the sage grouse was released jointly this week by the Carson City Bureau of Land Management and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

It has been 17 years since President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore stood on the shores of Lake Tahoe and issued a challenge. They urged the frequently fractious perspectives in the region to come together in support of the restoration of Lake Tahoe.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is marking this year’s Lake Tahoe Summit by highlighting the Environmental Improvement Program’s 15 years of achievement restoring and protecting Lake Tahoe’s fragile ecosystem.

Launched at the 1997 Presidential Forum at Lake Tahoe by then President Bill Clinton, and Vice President Al Gore, the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) is a partnership of more than 50 federal, state, and local agencies, private interests, and the Washoe Tribe.

A male black bear was tranquilized Friday morning in Gardnerville Ranchos by Nevada Department of Wildlife wardens and will be set free later west of Gardnerville in the Carson Range.

The yearling male was found up a tree at a residence south of the downtown area of Gardnerville. While not typical bear habitat, it does see bears wandering through occasionally.

The 80 to 100 pound bear is of “dispersal age” said NDOW biologist Carl Lackey.

Nevada Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller and U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-2) met Wednesday with top officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior to discuss actions that can be taken to help prevent the Endangered Species Act listing of the sage grouse, as well as the negative impact such a listing would have on the economic growth and development of the Silver State.

I attended a meeting of the Sagebrush Ecosystem Council July 30 (my third) in Carson City. Like a lot of things that go on in government, few readers will have heard of the council.

It was set up late last year by Gov. Sandoval in an effort to forestall the feds' putting the sage grouse on the endangered species list, a measure that would declare large swaths of Nevada off limits to business and recreation.

The Legislature earmarked $304 million to fund the council.

The Bike Carson-Tahoe bike shop is hosting an Ibis Bicycles demo day today, Thursday, July 11th, from 5 to 8PM. Meet at the shop at 4:30 to carpool up to Ash Canyon, or meet at the water towers (follow the Ash Canyon backcountry access road up the hill) at 5:00.

The Bison Fire burning in southeast Douglas County is between 1,200 to 1,300 acres in size with 15 percent containment as of Friday morning, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of July 3-10. Be sure to pack sunscreen and plenty of cold beverages.

Nevada Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller have introduced the Douglas County Conservation Act of 2013, which is designed to promote conservation, improve recreation opportunities, and provide for sensible development in Douglas County.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. Be sure to pack your sunscreen and plenty of cool beverages. Temperatures will heat up in the valleys near the century mark and 90 degrees or better in the Sierra.

An independent report released today by The National Academy of Sciences is critical of the Bureau of Land Management's oversight of free-ranging horses and burros on federal public lands in the western United States and urges changes to its current roundup policies.

Headed to Lake Tahoe or the backcountry for the weekend? Well, bears and other critters are headed out into the wild too after spending winter and spring inside their own nooks and crannies. And, like you, they're up for some exploring.

Oh, and they're hungry, too.

Employees from Greater Nevada Mortgage and Greater Nevada Credit Union pose with Bob the Builder at last Saturday’s Playhouse Build-a-Thon in Reno, a fundraiser for Truckee Meadows Habitat for Humanity. Thirty-three Greater Nevada employees joined other Habitat for Humanity volunteers to help raffle off five custom-built playhouses.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of May 8-14:

A federal contract was awarded Tuesday to Douglas County-based Minden Air Corporation to supply the U.S. Forest Service with "next generation" air tankers that will replace the aging fleet.