Students learn about water quality and insects on the Forever Earth

"Students learn about water quality and insects on the Forever Earth," Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee (PDF)

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

Local Take Pride Affiliate Gains National Attention

"Local Take Pride Affiliate Gains National Attention."(PDF)

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.

Southern Nevada to Celebrate Red Rock Day on May 13

Residents asked to put their outdoor passion into action at Red Rock Canyon

April 28, 2006

LAS VEGAS - The Southern Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program, Get Outdoors Nevada, is seeking volunteers to participate in Red Rock Day on Saturday, May 13, 2006, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed for a variety of restoration projects at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The Interagency Volunteer Program is joining with Friends of Red Rock Canyon to sponsor the annual event, which last year attracted nearly 200 volunteers. Community volunteers will participate in groups to repair trails, install signs, remove graffiti, and paint and apply wood preservative to structures.

“Last year, our dedicated volunteers contributed more than 1,000 hours to improve one of the area’s natural wonders,” said Nancy Flagg, director of the Public Lands Institute, which manages the interagency program. “We are hopeful residents will come out again in large numbers to help keep the canyon beautiful.”

Volunteers are being asked to wear long pants and sturdy shoes and to bring a hat, gloves, and sunscreen. A buffet lunch and entertainment by Traffic Jam will be provided and sponsored by Friends of Red Rock Canyon.

To pre-register, visit www.getoutdoorsnevada.org or call 895-5734. The registration deadline is May 10, 2006.

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.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Grady , Interagency Volunteer Program

702-895-4890

Hillarie Patton, Bureau of Land Management

702-515-5046

State hires coordinator to oversee historical sites

"State hires coordinator to oversee historical sites," by Jan Hogan, The View - Green Valley/Henderson.

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.