Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Southern Nevada to Celebrate National Trails Day

Volunteers trek to the Spring Mountains to restore trails on June 3  


May 23, 2006


LAS VEGAS -With the theme “Experience Your Outdoors,” the Southern Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program will join with the American Hiking Association to celebrate National Trails Day® on Saturday, June 3, 2006.


The Interagency Volunteer Program is seeking approximately 60 volunteers to work on a variety of projects at Kyle Canyon in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Also participating in the event will be Lisa Young, an official with Take Pride in America, a Washington, D.C.-based national volunteer program within the U.S. Department of Interior.


The event will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at noon on June 3. Volunteers will restore trails, pick up litter, and paint picnic tables. It is recommended that volunteers wear long pants and sturdy shoes and bring a hat, gloves, and sunscreen.


To pre-register, visit www.getoutdoorsnevada.org or call 895-5734. The deadline is May 29, 2006.


Several organizations are joining with the Interagency Volunteer Program to sponsor the event. They are American Land & Leisure, American Hiking Association, Spring Mountains Volunteer Association, Starbucks Coffee Company, Take Pride in America, and the Las Vegas Regional Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.


The Southern Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program, Get Outdoors Nevada, is funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) and managed by the UNLV Public Lands Institute on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service. More information about the 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. 


FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Grady , Interagency Volunteer Program

702-895-4890

Hillarie Patton, Bureau of Land Management

702-515-5046

Friday, May 19, 2006

Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada teams up with Boy Scouts

Boy Scout Troop 181 and Eagle Scout Candidate take on

litter and dumping at Desert National Wildlife Refuge


Environmental stewardship and community service were in full display on May 13, 2006 at Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada and Boy Scout Troop 181 teamed up to tackle the litter and dumping problem on an access road leading into the refuge. The clean-up effort also helped Eagle Scout candidate Zac Ipson in his quest to earn the highest rank in scouting.


Approximately 60 boy scouts and their family and friends ventured out to the three-mile section of the access road at 7:30 that morning. By noon, they had removed 60 cubic yards of waste, including discarded appliances, furniture, landscape debris, household waste, and thousands of shotgun shells.


“This was a very rewarding experience for our program,” said Doug Joslin, project manager of Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada. “In a matter of hours, we were able to see a huge improvement in a very important wildlife refuge in Southern Nevada. In addition to that, we had young people giving back to their community and helping one of their own achieve membership in an elite group.”


Joslin also thanked Republic Services of Southern Nevada for its sponsorship. “Republic donated the waste receptacles and disposal services, which saved us hundreds of dollars.”


The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada is funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and managed by the UNLV Public Lands Institute on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.