Southern Nevadans Improve Public Lands Yard-By-Yard

LAS VEGAS - Volunteers in southern Nevada once again showed their commitment to improving the area’s public lands by participating in 12 th annual National Public Lands Day events held September 17 and 24, 2005. More than 300 volunteers picked up a total of 128 cubic yards of litter at three separate clean-up events. The Southern Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program, a project of the UNLV Public Lands Institute, coordinated the events with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.

The northeast corner of Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area was littered with trash as small as broken glass and as large as an old golf cart. A total of 57 volunteers spent four hours on September 17 picking up those items along with shotgun shells, bullet casings, and building and car parts. They filled more than three 20-yard dumpsters for a total of 70 cubic yards of litter.

On September 24, 114 volunteers headed south to Lake Mead National Recreation Area and another 160 went northwest to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area to tackle the litter challenges there. Participants included several large groups, such as Albertsons, Bank of America, HSBC, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, UNLV’s Labor of Love, and several area Girl Scout troops.

Volunteers cleared a one square mile area of litter and debris at Lake Mead’s Hemenway Harbor, filling a 20-yard dumpster. It is estimated that nearly 500 pounds of broken glass was removed from the beach and desert areas. Community members also cleared 1.5 miles of road and trail in Red Rock Canyon’s Cottonwood Valley and another 1.0 mile of trail in Bird Springs Valley. When the volunteers were done, a 38-yard dumpster was full of litter, debris, electrical wire, cable reels, car parts, and tires.

“In total, community volunteers contributed nearly 1,500 hours over the past two Saturdays to beautify our public lands for the benefit of all Nevadans,” said Nancy Flagg, director of the Public Lands Institute. “On behalf of our federal partners, we extend our thanks to the volunteers and sponsors for their hard work and community involvement.”

Event sponsors included the Southern Nevada Interpretive Association, Friends of Red Rock Canyon, Starbucks Coffee Company, Albertsons, Republic Services of Southern Nevada, Boulder City Disposal, Las Vegas Boat Harbor, and the Desert Princess.

To volunteer for future events, visit the Get Outdoors Nevada website at www.getoutdoorsnevada.org. More information about the UNLV Public Lands Institute 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.

National Spotlight Shines on UNLV's Public Lands Institute

LAS VEGAS- The Southern Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program, administered by the UNLV Public Lands Institute, is among the 25 recipients of the 2005 Take Pride in America National Award. The awards ceremony will be held September 30 in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House in Washington, D.C. UNLV program manager Donna Grady will be joined by the federal interagency team in accepting the award.

The Interagency Volunteer Program is funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 and combines the volunteer efforts of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) into one program, Get Outdoors Nevada.

“We are honored by this national recognition for an innovative program that’s been in operation for a little more than a year,” said Dr. Margaret (Peg) Rees, executive director of the Public Lands Institute and Associate Vice President for Research and Outreach at UNLV. “Our program manager, Donna Grady, has worked diligently with the volunteer coordinators at the federal agencies and with dedicated community volunteers to effectively demonstrate how a united effort can have a greater impact on our public lands,” Rees said.

Initiated in August 2004, Get Outdoors Nevada recruits, trains and recognizes volunteers who assist in maintaining southern Nevada’s public lands. The program sponsors volunteer events on public lands throughout the year. Over a 12-month period, Get Outdoors Nevada recruited nearly 600 new volunteers who contributed 3,000 volunteer hours for habitat restoration and clean-up/maintenance.

“We exceeded our goals, and the volunteers exceeded our expectations,” said Grady. “We’ve established a stronger connection with a growing network of community volunteers in a relatively short period of time.”

The UNLV 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 was formally established in April 2004 to implement cooperative projects that fit the university’s educational and research strengths.

For more information on the Interagency Volunteer Program, visit www.getoutdoorsnevada.org. More information about the UNLV Public Lands Institute is available at publiclands.unlv.edu.

National Public Lands Day Congressional Record Statement by U.S. Senator Harry Reid. (PDF)

The name of UNLV’s Public Lands Institute (PLI) is now listed among the most successful conservation partnerships in the nation. The White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation, which was held in St. Louis, Missouri, August 29-31, 2005, highlighted the best examples of cooperative conservation throughout the United States.

“The Inclusive Approach to Stewardship” featuring the Southern Nevada Lands Partnership was honored as a model program for its multi-agency approach to the conservation and enjoyment of public lands in southern Nevada. The partnership includes the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Outside Las Vegas Foundation, and the Public Lands Institute.

PLI Executive Director Dr. Peg Rees and Director Nancy Flagg received the certificate on behalf of the Institute. “This honor recognizes the importance of conservation in southern Nevada and the organizations who are dedicated to it,” said Dr. Rees. “Even though we’ve only been in existence for a little more than a year, our partnership is strong and its impact upon cooperative conservation continues to grow.”

PLI Director Nancy Flagg at PLI booth

PLI also was invited to exhibit at the conference. Approximately 100 exhibitors from throughout the U.S. showcased products, services, and projects that positively impact environmental conservation.

This was the first time in 40 years – and only the fourth time in U.S. history – that the White House has hosted an environmental conference. The purpose was to promote and encourage cooperative conservation among federal agencies, states, local governments, tribes, and individuals. Conference speakers included Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, and Environmental Protection Agency Director Stephen L. Johnson.

Nevadans Urged to 'Get Outdoors' for National Public Lands Day Events

"Nevadans Urged to 'Get Outdoors' for National Public Lands Day Events," by Gian Galassi, UNLV News Bureau.

UNLV Public Lands Institute Names New Staff Member

LAS VEGAS-The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Public Lands Institute, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service, has named LaNelda Rolley to oversee outreach and marketing for the Institute’s projects.

Rolley brings to the Public Lands Institute over fifteen years of experience in public relations, marketing and management in the travel and tourism industry and the public sector. She previously served as the Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Tourism. In those capacities, Rolley took the lead in working with the industry to market the state and its attractions to prospective visitors. "The Institute has had a positive impact on Southern Nevada in a relatively short period of time. I look forward to working closely with the federal land management agencies and the public as we protect and enjoy our public lands,” Rolley said.

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 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 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.

2005 Take Pride in America National Award Winners Announced

Office of the Secretary
Contact: Michelle Cangelosi
For Immediate Release: August 18, 2005
(202) 208-5848

2005 TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA ® NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

WASHINGTON – Executive Director Marti Allbright today announced the 2005 Take Pride in America National Award recipients in 11 different categories. These individuals, groups and partnerships will be honored at an awards ceremony held September 30 in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.

“It is such a delight to inform each of the award winners that we appreciate all that they have contributed to enhancing our public lands and we want them to be recognized for their accomplishments,” said Allbright. “They embody the mission of Take Pride, and we want that message spread across the country. This is just one way we can say ‘Thank you’ for what they represent.”

Each year, the award winners are selected by a panel of judges from hundreds of qualified nominations representing outstanding examples of stewardship across the country. The judges, representatives of government agencies and private corporations with an interest in the mission of Take Pride, scored the applications in four categories 1) did it coincide with Take Pride’s mission, 2)were there measurable accomplishments, 3) was there an identified need and results that had an impact, and 4) did they collaborate with others.

This year, there are 25 National Award winners, representing projects and events in more than 15 states. The projects range from Girls Scouts preparing a wetland for plants and fish to Take Pride in Florida organizing a single day event that involved 1,900 volunteers working at more than 100 state and national facilities in the aftermath of hurricanes that ravaged the State.

Take Pride in America ®, coordinated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, is a national partnership program that recruits, supports and recognizes volunteers who work to improve our public parks, forests, grasslands, reservoirs, wildlife refuges, cultural and historic sites, local playgrounds, and other recreation areas. With more than 100 Charter Partners, Take Pride involves Federal, state and local governments; conservation, youth and recreation groups; and top national corporations and organizations. Together, we protect and enhance the special legacy all Americans share – our public lands that cover more than one in every three acres across the Nation.

2005 Take Pride in America National Award Winners

Outstanding Take Pride Partner

• America the Beautiful Fund; Nationwide

Corporate

• Tauck World Discovery; Yellowstone National Park, WY


• Toyota Motor Sales, USA; Nationwide

Individual

• Darryll and Terri Wade; Ely , NV


• Dona Horan; Boise, ID

Youth

• Girl Scout Troop 187 and 506, Heart of Ohio ; Cutler, OH

Non-profit Organization

• Continental Divide Trail Alliance ; Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico


• Morris Land Conservancy's Partners for Parks programs ; Northern New Jersey


• The National Public Lands Day Program; Nationwide

School, Elementary

• Deer Creek Elementary School; Edmond, OK

School, Post-secondary

• Des Moines Area Community College, Biology 172 ; Johnston, IA

School, Secondary

• Rock Springs High School Environmental Students ; Rock Springs, WY

Local Government

• City of Colorado Spring Parks; Colorado Springs , CO

Public/Private Partnership

• Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary Restoration Project ; Saint Paul, MN


• Friends of Anahuac Refuge ; Anahuac, TX


• San Gorgonio Wilderness Association ; San Bernardino, CA

State

• Take Pride in Florida


• Texas Master Naturalist Program

Federal Land Managers

• Jeff Brune; Bureau of Land Management; Anchorage, AK


• Valerie J. Curley; Bureau of Reclamation; Fresno, CA


• Marsha Kearney; US Forest Service; FL


• Mark H. Woods; National Park Service; Middlesboro , KY


• Mark J. Musaus; Fish and Wildlife Service; Boynton Beach , FL

Federal Volunteer Program

• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP ; Hagerstown, MD


• Southern Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program ; Las Vegas, NV