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Nevada Division of Forestry Pilot Nick Lopes (left) and Helicopter Manager Lee Stewart (right) receive letters of appreciation from Commander Shane Yates, operations manager at Naval Air Station, Fallon, for their assistance in rescuing skiers near Heavenly, Nevada.

Nevada Division of Forestry Pilot Nick Lopes (left) and Helicopter Manager Lee Stewart (right) receive letters of appreciation from Commander Shane Yates, operations manager at Naval Air Station, Fallon, for their assistance in rescuing skiers near Heavenly, Nevada.

MINDEN, Nev. — When a skier went missing from Heavenly Ski Resort on March 3, an air-based search was determined to be the best way to look for the individual in the mountainous terrain.

Within an hour of being called out to the mission, the Nevada Division of Forestry’s helicopter crew spotted the skier. The skier was not in a position to be rescued on foot because of heavy snow, so Fallon Naval Air Station personnel, who were also part of the search and rescue mission, recovered the skier from its helicopter.

Meanwhile, NDF’s crew spotted two more skiers, who also appeared to be in trouble and out of resort’s boundary. Contact was made with the two additional skiers, and it was determined that because of heavy snow and hypothermia setting in, that naval ground crews would rescue the skiers.

NDF’s air operations provide search and rescue support, though the helicopter crew’s primary mission is initial attacks on wildland fires. The crew averages 100 hours of flight time 35 days a year helping to fight wildfires.

Echo Canyon State Park in Nevada

PIOCHE, Nev. — There is $50,000 swimming in either Echo Canyon State Park or Spring Valley State Park. The catch is that the cash must be caught.

Several tagged fish in each reservoir are cash prize winners, but only one is worth $50,000.

To have a shot at catching one of these valuable fish, a Tagged Fishing event will be held May 2 from 7:00 a.m. through 5 p.m. and May 3 from 7:00 a.m. through noon at both the Echo Canyon and Spring Valley state parks.

Registration for the Tagged Fishing Event has begun and will continue up to the day of the event. Only 500 participants are allowed.

Participants may register at the Eagle Valley Resort in Ursine, Nevada on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is open to all ages. For more information, contact the Eagle Valley Resort at 775-962-5293.

There are 21 different species of shrubs, deciduous trees and evergreen trees available. Tree and shrub seedlings range from $2.25 to $3.75 each, depending on the size of the seedling and container. Plants are for conservation purposes for properties of at least one acre in size.

Plants are sold on a pre-order basis only. The deadline to place a pre-order is May 7, 2009. Pre-orders are to be picked up on either May 15 or 16 at the Spring Creek High School greenhouse, nine miles southeast on the Lamoille Highway. To receive an order form and a list of the plants with associated costs, please contact:

Ryan Shane
Nevada Division of Forestry
911 Falcon Lane
Elko, NV 89801
(775) 738-3454

rshane@forestry.nv.gov

Order forms may also be picked up at the following locations:

• Spring Creek High School
• Spring Creek Association Office
• NRCS Elko Office
• NV Cooperative Extension Offices
• NDF Spring Creek Fire Station #24
• NDF Regional Headquarters in Elko
• NDF Conservation Camps (Carlin and Wells)

Plant materials are from the NDF nursery in Washoe Valley and are selected for their adaptability to the region’s soils and climate. The plants come to Elko as container stock, making them easy to take home and transplant.

MINDEN, Nev. — Nevada State Parks invites the public to tour the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, located just west of Minden in Douglas County on Highway 88. The park features several historic buildings constructed between 1857 and 1916, and the main residence, which was once one of the most prominent homes in Carson Valley.

Park tours include a discussion of Dangberg family history with displays of artifacts from the 19th century through the 1980s. A variety of historic objects — including furniture, clothing, books, dishes, artwork, photographs, phonographs and other items — give insight into the lives of four generations of Nevadans. The park’s collection of farm equipment and its buildings help to understand Carson Valley agricultural history.

Tours begin April 22 and are conducted Wednesday through Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. The tours last about one hour.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling the park at 775-783-9417 or emailing dangbergranch@parks.nv.gov. Tours are limited to ten people, but larger groups can request special arrangements in advance. Tour admission is $3.00 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

The Dangberg Home Ranch was settled by Carson Valley pioneer Heinrich Friedrich Dangberg, Sr., in 1857. By the time of his death in 1904, he had created a 20,000-acre empire — one of the Carson Valley’s largest ranches — with the Home Ranch at its center. His children, including H. F. Dangberg, Jr., founded the Dangberg Land and Livestock Co., a collection of cattle and sheep ranches, orchards and other businesses that grew to 48,000 acres by the middle of the 20th century. In 1905, the company founded the town of Minden.

The first meeting will be on May 6, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with a presentation at 6:30 pm, at the Las Vegas Region Office located at 4747 W. Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, Nev.

The second meeting will be on May 7, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with a formal presentation at 6:30 pm, at the Overton Community Center located at 320 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton, Nev.

“Valley of Fire is one of our top priorities and we are inviting the public to attend and provide input into the park’s future development and operation. The existing plan is almost 20 years old and Clark County has had significant population increases. Recreation use has changed radically so the park’s new plan needs to reflect those changes,” said Dave Morrow, administrator of the Nevada Division of State Parks. “Much has changed since the 1990 master plan was completed. We need to revise and expand the plan so the park meets the needs of current and future visitors.”

The two meetings are being held in separate locations to accommodate everyone who is interested in attending. The agendas are the same for both meetings. Information is available online at http://parks.nv.gov/masterplans/ValleyofFire/ValleyofFire.html.

Contact Jenny Scanland at 775-684-2787 for additional information.

The Nevada Legislature is now at the halfway point (assuming no special sessions). I thought you would appreciate a quick update on the first 60 days.

Budgets

As previously reported, budget hearings began in January, even before the official start of the session. Since that first high-level overview hearing, we have had a number of more detailed hearings before the Joint Finance Subcommittee.

This session has been like no other I have ever experienced. Instead of defending requests for budget enhancements, we have spent much of the hearings detailing our reductions. The members of the Subcommittee have been very sympathetic to our cuts and the potential impacts to our agency missions, Nevada citizens, visitors and our employees.

On March 30, the Subcommittee recommended closure of a portion of DCNR’s budgets, which is the first step toward finalizing the proposed budgets. This hearing included the Director’s Office, the Wild Horse Commission, Conservation Districts, Natural Heritage, the State Environmental Commission and several budget accounts from the Division of Forestry.

Closure hearings before the Subcommittee for the remainder of our budget accounts will continue in April and May, followed by final closure hearings before the full “money” committees.

Update on legislation

The pace of legislative bill hearings this session has been staggering. Legislators hit the ground running, and rare is the day we don’t have three or four hearings where we need to attend or testify. The following is a partial listing of some of the major bills we are working on that deal directly with the department:

SB 37 deals with NDEP’s Safe Drinking Water Program and the awarding of subgrants.
SB 42 has been watched closely by the Division of State Parks and would modify oversight of construction projects by the Public Works Board.
SB 60 addresses the clean up of drug labs, where DEP’s Corrective Action Bureau would play a role.
SB 94 addresses fire regulations in the wildland/urban interface at Lake Tahoe and Mount Charleston. NDF has had major involvement in this bill, which is a recommendation of the Bi-State Fire Commission.
SB 105 modifies match requirements for grants from NDEP’s Board to Finance Water Projects.
SB 146 will use conservation bond dollars (Question 1) to help deal with wildfire and invasive species in our sagebrush habitats.
SB 152 is one of the major pieces of legislation this session and deals with green jobs. It tasks State Parks with the evaluation of hydroelectric and wind power at South Fork State Recreation Area (a Nevada State Park).
SB 186 would allow for the operation of a tire recycling center in Southern Nevada.
SB 332 features the work of NDEP concerning alternative fuels. This bill is also being closely watched by our larger divisions for issues related to their fleets.
SB 394 would regulate off highway vehicles.
SB 395 is the Governor’s bill for encouraging renewable energy. It is an outgrowth of his Climate Change Committee and Electrical Transmission Task Force.
SB 397 is a bill proposing a surcharge on plastic bags and is being watched by NDEP.
AB 18 and its companion bill AB 526 would authorize $100 million in bonds for environmental improvement projects on the Nevada side of Lake Take for the next 10 years.
AB 75 would require NDF prepare and submit reports on forest health at Lake Tahoe. This was a recommendation of the Bi-State Fire Commission.
AB 78 is the first agency bill (and one of the first bills to come out of the legislative session) to pass both houses and be signed by the Governor. It formalizes in statute the NDF/Corrections Conservation Camp Program. Kay has termed this bill the “happiest bill in the session.” No one said a negative word about it!
AB 426 deals with the recycling and disposal of electronic waste.
AB 119, AB 276, AB 363, AB 376, AB 377, AB 416, AB 480, SB204, SB 347 and SB 373 all have elements relating to the Office of the State Engineer (I have not included the additional five or so only peripherally related to DWR). Topics include protest periods, water importation project oversight, public notice provisions, science-based decision making, basin inventories and state supremacy over water allocation. As in the last two sessions, water is a very hot topic!
State Parks is closely following a number of bills related to law enforcement.
State Lands is following a multitude of land use and planning bills as well as bills such as those dealing with lease/purchase agreements.

You can get the full text of these bills on the legislature’s website.

You will notice I did not include bills dealing with employee labor issues, compensation (raises or pay reductions), benefits reductions, etc. These high profile bills will probably be some of the last to be heard and addressed in the waning days of the session in late May.

I am very pleased with the direction legislation related to the department is headed. This is due in large part to the efforts of Deputy Director Kay Scherer and all of the division administrators and their deputies who have been working very hard to keep up with the flow of bills and making sure we have a voice in legislative hearings impacting the department. We have been able to get modified the bills that would negatively impact us and move ahead with those of benefit. Finally, it is my observation that the department and staff is well respected at the legislature and that our input and comments are taken seriously.

U.S. Forest Service liaison begins working with state

Please welcome from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Michael Hampton. Michael will be the U.S. Forest Service liaison to state agencies and will be located at the NDF Carson City Office on Fairview Dr. Please contact Michael at (775) 355-5314 or at mhampton@fs.fed.us if you have regular contact with the Forest Service.

While on the topic, the USFS recently awarded the Division of Forestry — in round one — more than $1.3 million in federal stimulus funds for conservation projects in eastern Nevada. NDF has the distinction of being the first award for Nevada though a competitive grant process. Details can be found here.

A big thank you to the staff of NDF for getting the stimulus fund application submitted on very short notice and for jumping through all of the hoops necessary to get the work on the ground.

Wild Horse Commission seeking donations for wild horse training efforts

Wild Horse Administrator Cathy Barcomb began working last week on obtaining donations for the prison’s wild horse training program at the Stewart facility. As part of this effort, she is seeking jeans, vests, boots, and helmets for the inmates. Cathy was able to get Troxel helmets to provide a reduced cost of $15 each for their helmets (normally $100) and was able to secure 17 helmets for free. That’s $1,700 in new helmets for the program. No inmate is allowed near the horses without a helmet and a few weeks ago when Cathy was there she noticed helmets with duct tape on them.

Cathy is still seeking used boots, vests and blue jeans. If you have any that you would like to donate, she is accepting sizes suitable for adult males. Please call her at (775) 849-3625 for information or drop off donations at the Bryan Building Director’s Office or any NDF office statewide. Here is a video of the Corrections training program.

Joanne Marchetta appointed new director of TRPA

I have the pleasure of serving as Governing Board Chairman for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and we recently appointed Joan Marchetta, formerly TRPA’s Legal Counsel, as the new director. She is taking over from John Singlaub, who announced his resignation in January. Marchetta has been with TRPA as general counsel since 2005 and prior to that she was at The Presidio Trust in San Francisco, with a stint before that at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

As part of the interview process, Marchetta presented the board with a statement and direction for the agency that was quite impressive. Here is just a short part of her interview statement:

“These are extraordinary times for our country, times that leave the Basin in a far more vulnerable circumstance. The next few years are likely to make the difference in how the region is positioned for the future when full recovery happens, as it will. Will we be ready or will we have let the opportunity pass by? Will we have set a course or will we still be arguing among ourselves about what direction to head?”

Stepping into Marchetta’s previous position is Nicole Rinke, who has been appointed as TRPA’s general counsel. Rinke has been the TRPA Assistant General Counsel since February 2007. She previously worked for the Western Environmental Law Center representing conservationists, ranchers and rural communities concerned with Nevada water policy.

—

Have a great April!

Allen Biaggi

Director

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) has announced the completion of initial environmental compliance requirements at Queenstake Resources’ Jerritt Canyon Mine, a major producer of gold in northern Elko County. This determination will allow Jerritt Canyon Mine’s milling and ore processing operations to restart.

“Queenstake Resources has met all requirements to restart. There are requirements to continue operation and we’ll be working with Queenstake to ensure those are met in the near future,” said NDEP Administrator Leo Drozdoff.

The NDEP has worked with mine personnel continuously during the past six months. Air and water issues have been resolved to a level that will allow Jerritt Canyon Mine to begin processing ore. The restart will allow Queenstake Resources to rehire workers, generate revenue and continue required environmental work at the site.

“Having the facility achieve compliance with the environmental requirements and its subsequent reopening demonstrates how well Queenstake, the NDEP and the Attorney General’s office can work together to ensure that the public health and the environment are protected, a viable mill is permitted to operate, and motivated millers and miners are able to get back to work,” said Deputy Attorney General Robert Kilroy.

HISTORY

Following a year-long investigation into mercury emissions, in March 2008 the NDEP ordered Queenstake Resources to install new state-of-the-art emission control equipment at Jerritt Canyon Mine by the end of that year.

Before the NDEP’s order was satisfied, Queenstake Resources, by its own action, stopped mining and processing ore at Jerritt Canyon Mine in August 2008. The facility has remained shut down while the new emission control systems were designed and installed.

Staff from Queenstake Resources and the NDEP worked together to resolve air emission issues related to the roasting operation. They also worked diligently to ensure all water management systems were maintained and operated properly during the shutdown.

The USDA Forest Service, as landholders of the mine area, assisted the NDEP during the shutdown period to ensure the protection of human health and the environment.
Queenstake Resources holds environmental permits for air, water, waste and surface reclamation activities issued by the NDEP for the Jerritt Canyon Mine.

PROGRESS

Queenstake Resources has improved existing air emission control systems in order to achieve an immediate, substantial reduction in mercury emissions. As part of this effort, along with other interim operational changes, Queenstake Resources has committed to install a state-of-the-art mercury control by May 30, 2009.

NDEP staff will remain on-site through start-up to monitor progress and ensure compliance with all environmental requirements.

About 2.4 million acres of “high priority” at risk of being overrun by beetles have been identified for potential treatment by the Council of Western State Foresters. Much of the land is in the Sierra and near communities where widespread tree mortality could produce extreme fire danger.

Read the complete story at the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The opening of the new facilities adds to the park’s many amenities, including potable water, shade armadas, tables and grills, flush toilets, coin operated showers and an RV dump station.

One of the new camp sites is designed to accommodate those with disabilities. The camping fee is $10 per night and camping is on a first-come, first-served basis.

New Campground at Kershaw Ryan State Park