Nevada State Parks floats take top awards at Nevada Day celebrations

CARSON CITY, Nev.—The Nevada Division State Parks entered the Nevada Day Parade and took two top awards this year.

With the help of several volunteers State Parks received two first place awards for their alien-themed float entry—the Parade Judges’ Award and the Community Award.

Engineer rejects tribe’s attempt to block Douglas County water applications (Nevada Appeal)

CARSON CITY, Nev.–The state water engineer has rejected the move by the Pyramid Paiute Tribe to block 19 separate applications to move or change water rights in Douglas County.

Most of the changes were designed to enable municipal and commercial development in the county. In addition to the county and area general improvement districts, the applicants included ranchers, commercial developers and the owners of a commercial nursery.

Read the complete story at the Nevada Appeal.

Getting children involved with nature

By David Morrow
Administrator, Nevada State Parks

CARSON CITY, Nev.–As park and recreational professionals, we should be concerned about a growing trend in America, increased screen time spent on computers, cell phones, video games and television. The latest Parks & Recreation magazine had an article entitled “Returning to Nature.”

It asked its members and other recreation and park professionals to become engaged in the growing movement to reconnect children with nature. It cited a growing trend of children who do not have the same connection to the outdoors as generations before. Of course, some of us who qualify as “members of the generations before” category didn’t always have access to radios and TVs and thus found the outdoors a wonderful place to spend time. My childhood memories are filled with hiking, fishing and playing in the outdoors from sunup to sundown.

Another publication, Last Child in the Woods, written by Richard Louv, has evoked a wide response from parents, educators, elected officials and concerned adults who agree with the author’s premise that children are increasingly afflicted with a “nature deficit disorder.”

Governor Gibbons answers California’s call for assistance

CARSON CITY, Nev.–As wildfires continue to rage throughout California, Governor Jim Gibbons announced today that additional fire suppression resources from Nevada are in route to provide much needed assistance.

The Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) is helping to coordinate six Strike Teams, consisting of 35 engines and 127 fire personnel from multiple state and local fire-fighting agencies. These teams are comprised of highly skilled fire crews who specialize in both structural and wildland fires. Governor Gibbons also authorized two Nevada National Guard C-130s and two helicopters along with an NDF helicopter manager, to deploy to the California fires.