Good morning to everyone in the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. I hope you all had a great summer. I know I am looking forward to those magnificent Nevada fall days.

After months of preparation, DCNR’s biennial budget (it begins July 1, 2009 and ends June 30, 2011) has been submitted to the budget office. Given Nevada’s economic situation, the development of this budget has been nothing like I have experienced in my 27 plus years in state government. With the hard work and cooperation of the division administrators and agency budget staff we were able to meet our reduction targets. They will deeply impact our programs. The division administrators have been very creative in modifying the way we do business and how we provide services to our clients…the citizens and visitors of our state. We are only in the beginning stages of the process. We will now work with the Budget Office and the Governor’s Office as they craft a final budget to present to the 2009 session of the Nevada Legislature.

I would like to recognize Deputy Director Kay Scherer for the work she put into DCNR’s biennial budget. Kay is a master tactician and strategist and worked with all of the programs to ensure the impacts of the reductions were minimized. Great work Kay!

Brownfields loan clears the way for redevelopment

The cleanup of environmental contamination at a future retail site on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony was completed using a $950,000 loan from the State of Nevada Brownfields Program, made possible by a $2 million grant from Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).

The loan helped the Colony complete the final phase of the cleanup of petroleum and lead contamination left by previous tenants of the site located on East Second St., just east of U.S. 395. Previous businesses located there included an auto storage facility and a radiator repair shop. The recently completed cleanup was accomplished by removing and hauling away the contaminated soil. Construction of a large retail store will begin on the site in the near future.

NDEP’s technical staff oversaw the assessment and the cleanup to ensure that the work was completed in accordance with state law and is protective of human health and the environment. Read more.

Wild horse gentling

DCNR’s Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses recently worked with the Department of Corrections to produce this video on the horse adoption process. Take a look at the great work of this cooperative effort.

Parks wood sale permits available Sept. 6 in Carson City

Permits will go on sale September 6 for the Nevada Division of State Parks’ annual wood sale. The permit sale starts at 8:00 a.m. at the State Library and Archives building located at 100 N. Stewart Street in Carson City. Permits are $50 (cash or check only) per cord and are limited to one cord per address/family.

Approximately 300 permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The wood consists of a mixture of pine and fir, some seasoned and some green. The pick-up schedule will be between September 13 through October 3 and October 6 through October 13. This program benefits forest health and fire protection and provides a great secondary benefit of the use of the wood for residential fuel.

Available pick-up locations will be at the North Canyon area near Spooner Lake and in the vicinity of Hobart Reservoir via Lakeview Road. Wood in the North Canyon area is in an accessible location, but four-wheel drive trucks are strongly suggested. Trailers are allowed. Four-wheel drive vehicles are mandatory to access the wood near Hobart Reservoir.

Boat launching unavailable at Sand Harbor

As we enter into the late summer, water levels are decreasing in lakes and reservoirs throughout Nevada. Low water levels at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park have prevented boat launching from Sand Harbor. In last month’s news, I reported about low water levels at Lahontan Reservoir, which have put quite a distance between the ramps and the lake.

Boat launching has taken a high profile at Lake Tahoe with the discovery last month of quagga mussels on a boat that was attempting to put into the Lake. Due to the sharp eyes of the harbor master, the boat was quarantined and decontaminated. In late September the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will be presenting to its Governing Board a program for the inspection of boats to ensure mussels and other aquatic invasives do not infest Lake Tahoe as they have in Lake Mead in Southern Nevada.

Water Resource regulations

Later this month the Division of Water Resources will present an important set of regulations to the Legislative Commission for approval. The 2007 session of the Nevada Legislature granted the Division the authority to levy more stringent fines and penalties to those exceeding their permitted water allocation. DWR’s staff has worked hard over the last year and a half to craft a set of regulations that address the scarcity of water in Nevada, yet provide for firm and fair enforcement with all appropriate due process for alleged violations.

Have a great September.

Allen Biaggi
Director

The Great Reno Balloon Race 2008 Slideshow

View the slideshow here.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (NTRPA) is seeking people who are interested in serving on both the NTRPA and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency governing boards.

The position to be filled is the “member-at-large” seat on the board. Selection of the member-at-large will be made by the six other members of the Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, as specified by the Tahoe Compact. NTRPA consists of the Nevada members of TRPA.

The term is one-year, beginning January 1, 2009. There is an incumbent presently holding the seat. Board members are expected to attend monthly board meetings that typically are for one to two days during the fourth week of the month. Nevada residency is required.

Persons interested in serving on the governing board should submit an application, statement of interest and a resume to the Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 901 S. Stewart St., Ste. 5003, Carson City, NV 89706 by the close of business on September 30, 2008.

Applications can be obtained from the above address or from lands.nv.gov.

The most qualified applicants will be invited for an interview by the Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency governing board. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency office in the Nevada Division of State Lands at  775-684-2720 .

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Permits will go on sale September 6 for the Nevada Division of State Parks’ annual wood sale. The sale starts at 8:00 a.m. at the State Library and Archives building located at 100 N. Stewart Street. Permits are $50 (cash or check only) per cord and are limited to one cord per address/family.

Approximately 300 permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The wood consists of a mixture of pine and fir, some seasoned and some green. The pick-up schedule will be between September 13 through October 3 and October 6 through October 13.

Available pick-up locations will be at the North Canyon area near Spooner Lake and in the vicinity of Hobart Reservoir via Lakeview Road. Wood in the North Canyon area is in an accessible location, but four-wheel trucks are strongly suggested and trailers are allowed. Four-wheel drive vehicles are mandatory to access the wood near Hobart Reservoir.

Most of the wood is in stove lengths although some odd sized and large rounds are possible.

CARSON CITY, Nev. –- Fulfilling one of the recommendations of the California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission, Governor Jim Gibbons today announced the appointment of three Nevadans to oversee implementation of the commission’s work.

Appointed are former Tahoe Regional Planning Agency member Coe Swobe, Nevada State Forester Pete Anderson and Glenbrook Homeowners Association president A.J. “Bud” Hicks, who also served on the fire commission.

“These three individuals have a diverse array of expertise on issues affecting the Tahoe Basin,” Gibbons said. “I know that each is committed to protecting the basin from catastrophic wildfire, supports the recommendations of the fire commission and will be diligent in ensuring the commission’s recommendations are implemented.”

Gibbons and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed the bi-state commission in the summer of 2007 following the Angora Fire, which burned more than 3,100 acres and destroyed 254 homes.

The commission presented its final report to the Nevada and California governors in May 2008. The report makes 90 recommendations in six categories: environmental protection, issues of governance, community and homeowner fire prevention, forest and fuels management, fire suppression and funding.

Gibbons has already implemented some recommendations, including the signing of an emergency declaration for the Nevada counties in the Tahoe Basin, which helps state agencies supplement the work of local governments. The Governor has also directed his agency heads to implement all recommendations they have individual control over.

The full commission report is available online at www.resources.ca.gov/TahoeFireCommission.

FT. CHURCHILL, Nev. — Stripped of roofs, windows and doors, stark adobe ruins remain of buildings that once comprised Nevada’s first military installation. Strife between native Paiutes and white settlers in 1860 resulted in the establishment of Fort Churchill east of Carson City. Now preserved as Fort Churchill State Historic Park, the outpost saw nearly a decade of active use during turbulent times.

Fort Churchill lies about 390 miles from Las Vegas. Southern Nevadans traveling north on U.S. 95 toward Reno turn at Schurz onto Alternate U.S. 95 through Yerington to reach the park. Follow the short, paved park road leading to a visitor center near the ruins.

Read the complete story at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection

Brownfields loan clears the way for redevelopment

RENO, Nev. — The cleanup of environmental contamination at a future retail site on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony was completed using a $950,000 federal loan from the State of Nevada Brownfields Program, made possible by a $2 million grant from Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).

“This is a historic moment for all of the entities involved,” said Leo Drozdoff, NDEP administrator. “The project is the first of its kind to be completed in Nevada and the first on an Indian-owned site in the entire western region.”

The loan helped the Colony complete the final phase of the cleanup of petroleum and lead contamination left by previous tenants of the site located on East Second St., just east of U.S. 395. Previous businesses located there included an auto storage facility and a radiator repair shop. The recently completed cleanup was accomplished by digging out and hauling away the contaminated soil. Construction of a large retail store will begin on the site in the near future.

“The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony is extremely pleased with the cooperation between all of the entities and the outcome of the collaboration that has led to the cleanup of this site,” Arlan Melendez, Colony Chairman, said. “Without the loan, it would have been very difficult for the Colony to redevelop this site from old underutilized industrial uses to a major retailer.”

The loan is the first one applied for and awarded through NDEP’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Program.

“This successful project is the first Brownfields loan made to a Tribal nation in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region and we’re proud to have funded NDEP’s program,” said David Lloyd, director of the EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Office. “The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony shows how cleaning up and redeveloping blighted properties can lead to significant sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits for communities.”

Colony representatives submitted the loan application in June 2007. The loans provide flexible, negotiable, low-interest terms which are typically more favorable than those offered by traditional lenders.

“This is part of our Nevada Land Recycling Program,” said NDEP’s Drozdoff. “We’re pleased to be able to help the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony transform this contaminated piece of property to productive use. It will provide long-term benefits to residents in the area and to the community as a whole.”

The mission of the Brownfields Program is to facilitate the recycling of contaminated lands back into productive use. According to Drozdoff, Brownfields redevelopment benefits the environment, the community and local business by cleaning up contaminated properties, mitigating potential health risks, revitalizing pre-existing structures and services and returning those properties to the tax rolls.

NDEP’s technical staff oversees the assessment and cleanup of the contaminated sites to ensure that the work is completed in accordance with state law, and that it’s protective of human health and the environment. The staff works with city and county officials and with potential investors to facilitate development of the cleaned-up sites. The agency also works closely with EPA, the primary source of Brownfields funding throughout the United States, to maximize the financial, technical and human resources needed for the successful completion of a Brownfields project.

Anyone interested in the Brownfields Program or in applying for a loan or a grant, may contact NDEP at (775) 687-9379. Cities, counties and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for grant money. Almost any individual, company or organization interested in recycling a piece of contaminated property may apply for a loan.

LAS VEGAS — Laurelle Hughes, president, High Desert Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc., and Ron Davidson, acting state conservationist for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Nevada, have signed an agreement to partner on five new projects in southern Nevada.

The five projects will stimulate economic development and increase conservation efforts in southern Nevada. “We’re really excited about these new opportunities to help our rural areas,” said Hughes. “The projects will create jobs and make the areas better places to live.”

The projects are:

• Salt-cedar removal will continue on private parcels in Oasis and Pahrump valleys, Nye County. Amargosa toad habitat will be enhanced on one parcel in Beatty. Work is being done by Southern Nye County Conservation District, Beatty Habitat Committee, and Amargosa Conservancy.
• The Town of Silver Peak in Esmeralda County will install their first solar powered street lights along Montezuma Avenue.
• Agricultural land in Lincoln County will be treated for priority noxious weeds.
• A new farmers’ market will be developed in Caliente in conjunction with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and Lincoln County Conservation District.
• In Henderson’s Acacia Park, the Tomiyasu Memorial Garden will receive a new shade grove and a dedication stone with the help of the Conservation District of Southern Nevada and City of Henderson.

The High Desert RC&D Council has been helping rural residents in southern Nevada since 1998. Previous projects include helping create the Children’s Park in Alamo, producing the Fugitive Dust handbook to improve air quality in Las Vegas, conducting grant writing workshops, and raising native seed for revegetation efforts. The Council is also helping make Bootleg Canyon Park out of a retired rock quarry in Boulder City

Four RC&D councils provide service to communities in Nevada. In addition to the High Desert RC&D area in southern Nevada, the Western Nevada RC&D covers west-central Nevada, Da Ka Doiyabe RC&D covers northeastern Nevada, and North Cal-Neva RC&D covers northern Washoe County.

For more information about the High Desert RC&D, contact Teri Knight, coordinator, at  (702) 262-9047  x 108 or visit the NRCS Web site at www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov.

With the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo occuring this weekend in Reno, we went behind the scenes at the Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City to see how Nevada’s feral horses are trained and gentled so that the animals can be adopted to the public.

Allen Biaggi, director of the Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

Good afternoon to everyone in the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Following is the Director’s Office update for August. I hope you are having a great summer.

Sand Harbor’s heroic lifeguards

Three of State Park’s seasonal lifeguards had their training tested in late July. Samuel Lawrence, Alisa Johansson and Dennis Sanders rescued two people from the icy waters of Lake Tahoe at Sand Harbor. One person died in this incident; however, the quick work of Sand Harbor’s lifeguards was instrumental in preventing further tragedy.

I would like to personally commend all of Sand Harbor’s on-duty lifeguards on their response in this situation.

The passing of a Forestry employee

I am sad to report that the Nevada Division of Forestry lost one of its seasonal firefighters recently. Nate Manca had been with NDF as a seasonal for four years. Nate was a top-notch employee who will be dearly missed. NDF held a very moving memorial and tribute to Nate on July 31 at Washoe Lake State Park. It was well attended by Nate’s family and his coworkers. Please keep Nate and his family in your thoughts.

NDF’s helicopter in Tahoe on the weekends

The Nevada Division of Forestry, in conjunction with the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District is staging an NDF helicopter in the Lake Tahoe Basin as a firefighting resource during high fire risk days. This is in keeping with the recommendations of the Bi-State Fire Commission which investigated the causes of the Angora Fire in South Tahoe.

The Tahoe Douglas Zephyr Fire Crew will begin training on the helicopter, based at the Minden Airport. The operation will continue throughout the fire season.

The NDF helicopter can be used both to drop water on fires and deliver hand crews quickly to remote areas. A video about NDF’s Air Operations can be viewed here.

Grants awarded for conservation projects at Mt. Charleston

The Nevada Division of State Lands has awarded grants totaling $104,523 to six projects promoting the natural environment of the Mt. Charleston area, between Las Vegas and Pahrump.

Funds for the grants are generated from sales of the Mt. Charleston license plate, one of many specialty plates available at the Department of Motor Vehicles that include a percentage of the registration fees assigned to special projects statewide. Read more here.

State Lands also administers the Lake Tahoe license plate program, which also funds conservation projects at Tahoe. Both of these plates are available from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Tahoe Summit August 16

California Sen. Diane Feinstein and Calif. Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger are hosting this year’s Tahoe Summit. The event will be held on the grounds of the Valhalla Estate on August 16. I have the pleasure of being one of the event’s speakers and will be discussing Nevada’s Environmental Improvement Program (EIP).

The Tahoe Summit, held annually, is a significant event, and this year will highlight the role of property owners and federal, state and local governments in working together to preserve Lake Tahoe.

June’s Safety Challenge winner

Congratulations to DCNR’s Linda Mulkey for being the winner of the state’s June Safety Challenge. Linda was chosen by Risk Management’s Joan Tierney for her safety enhancing efforts in the Richard H. Bryan Building.

Linda also secured a grant from the State of Nevada Emergency Response Commission. The grant money was awarded for the purchase of nine concrete planter boxes that will be placed at all four entrances to the building. Money for the grant comes from the “United We Stand” license plates.

Signing TROA

September 6, 2008 will mark a major milestone in the management of Nevada’s water resources. More than 20 years in the making, the Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA) will be signed by Nevada, California, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the United States. I have the distinct pleasure of signing for Nevada however the real driving force behind the agreement is former DCNR director Roland Westergard. Roland has been working on this agreement since the negotiations began and is probably the most knowledgeable person on the interworkings and implications of the agreement. In general, TROA modifies the way the Truckee River is operated and recognizes existing water rights, the cultural importance of the river and Pyramid Lake to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, the needs of the growing communities of Reno and Sparks and the unique ecosystems in and along the river.

Lahontan’s levels reaching all-time low

Drought conditions and the breach earlier this year in the canal linking the Carson and Truckee river systems have contributed to a rapid decrease in water levels at Lahontan Reservoir. The reservoir may reach near historic low levels before the end of summer. To date, this has had an impact on Lahontan’s visitation and revenues at the State Park and is also impacting Fallon’s farmers.

For safety reasons, the Silver Springs and North Shore Marina docks have been removed from the water, and the launching ramps are closed. Dropping reservoir levels continue to expose underwater hazards, and boating is not advised. Visitors should use extreme caution when boating on Lahontan Reservoir and to do so at their own risk.

Have a safe and happy remainder of the summer.

Allen Biaggi
Director