UNLV Public Lands Institute Hires Program Administrator

Program monitors research at Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Parashant National Monument

April 18, 2006

LAS VEGAS-The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Public Lands Institute has named Dr. Jef Jaeger to administer research projects conducted in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS). As the program administrator for the NPS Monitoring Program, Jaeger currently oversees a staff of 14 who execute a variety of research projects in the areas of vegetation, wildlife, and archaeology at Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Parashant National Monument. In addition, Jaeger manages the Institute’s wildlife research projects and serves as a research assistant professor in the UNLV Department of Biological Sciences.

NPS Resource Monitoring Program staff conduct surveys and research, and manage data collected to monitor sensitive rare plant and animal species, track their numbers, and recommend corrective actions when necessary. In particular, the wildlife monitoring focuses on desert tortoise, relict leopard frog, peregrine falcon, and songbird and shorebird populations. Further efforts address the effects of federal highway construction on desert tortoise and bighorn sheep habitats.

“It is imperative that we continue to monitor the urban encroachment on Southern Nevada’s desert ecosystem and track what effect it may have on sensitive animal species,” said Nancy Flagg, director of the Public Lands Institute. “Jef has extensive knowledge gained from more than fifteen years of experience conducting research in population and conservation biology in Nevada and California.”

Jaeger has been with UNLV for 12 years. He also has worked for a state resources agency and as a biological consultant in the private sector.

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands. Its innovative partnership with the four land management agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service) was formally established in April 2004 to implement cooperative projects through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act that fit the university’s educational and research strengths. The act specifies that a portion of the proceeds from federal land sales in southern Nevada be used for capital improvements, education, and conservation initiatives on public lands.

More information about the UNLV Public Lands Institute and SNPLMA is available at http://publiclands.unlv.edu.

UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution with more than 27,000 students and approximately 2,800 faculty and staff. More than 200 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees are offered. Founded in 1957, UNLV is located on 337 acres in dynamic Southern Nevada. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.