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Thank You For Another Great Year in Wild Nevada!
From southern Nevadans canoeing in the Black Canyon wilderness to pull tamarisk weeds to northern Nevadans hiking in the Santa Rosa Range to plant native seedlings, hundreds of public land enthusiasts in 2015 were busy protecting the places they love. We've finished compiling the numbers and wanted to share their successes.
A big thank you is due to all of our outstanding volunteers who came out to donate their time in service to Nevada's wild lands. These projects would not be possible without your help. We'd also like to thank our agency partners, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as our partner organizations who have made this past year one to remember. We look forward to 2016!
Although our volunteers' accomplishments are too long to list here, we compiled a few key highlights for both northern and southern Nevada. Way to go!
Friends of Nevada Wilderness also hired and managed two crews in central and northern Nevada. Our wilderness trail crew focused primarily on trail maintenance but also assisted with two administrative site cleanups within Arc Dome and Table Mountain Wildernesses and the installation of Easy Passes in the Santa Rosa Ranger District. Our ambitious crew completed over 50 miles of trail maintenance in five different wilderness areas in the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest! The majority of these miles were done under the Central Nevada Recreational Trails Program Grant and with help from our partner organization, the Backcountry Horsemen. In addition, Friends' Sheldon National Wildlife crew, consisting of AmeriCorps members, removed 13.8 tons of metal garage from the Refuge and reinforced nine miles of perimeter fence in order to maintain a horse-free Refuge.
Of course, volunteers weren't the only ones busy in 2015. Our activists (many of whom doubled as stewardship volunteers) remained staunch supporters of keeping public lands in public hands, gaining permanent protection for Gold Butte, ensuring a Wild Washoe, and saving the majority of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge from being under the jurisdiction of the military.
Majority of Westerners Support National Monuments
A recent poll by the Colorado College's State of the Rockies found that the majority of Westerners support future presidents using the Antiquities Act to protect public lands as National Monuments. This is the first time the state of Nevada was included in polling efforts over its six year survey and for good reason. Nevada is in the center of the 2016 presidential election and issues like public lands, water, and solar energy remain a top priority for its constituents. The polling results highlight the majority of Nevadans who support National Monuments like the recently designated Basin and Range (in July 2015) and who would support future designations like Gold Butte in Southern Nevada. See the full polling data here.The polling data is especially relevant given the economic study released by the Outside Las Vegas Foundation in November 2015 that showed that permanently protecting Gold Butte would bring economic benefits to the region. The research found that designation of the area as a National Conservation Area or National Monument would draw an additional 35,000 visitor trips per year and if just 10 percent of those new visitors to Gold Butte decided to spend the night in Mesquite, the total economic impact for the community would be $2.7 million per year, creating 28 full-time jobs throughout the community! To view the full report, visit Outside Las Vegas Foundation's website here.  With the majority of western voters supporting National Monument designations, coupled with the economic benefits a Gold Butte National Conservation Area or National Monument would entail for the local community, we urge the Congressional delegation and the Obama administration to make 2016 the year to give permanent protection for Gold Butte. Help us keep the pressure on and give Gold Butte the protection it so deserves!
If you would like to help more with the campaign, please e-mail Jesy at [email protected] or call the office at 702-515-5417.
Find Your Park
Mt. Wheeler overlooking Great Basin National Park. Photo by Kurt Kuznicki
This year on August 25th, the National Park Service will turn 100! The NPS Centennial will celebrate the achievements of the past 100 years and look towards the future. It’s about kicking off a second century of stewardship for America’s national parks and for communities across the nation and the National Park Service is inviting you to partake in the festivities!
This year, we will be joining the Park Service's "Find Your Park" initiative, a movement to encourage people to connect with and celebrate our nation's National Parks and public lands: "Find Your Park invites the public to see that a national park is more than just a place - it can be a feeling, a state of mind, or a sense of American pride. Beyond vast landscapes, the campaign highlights historical, urban, and cultural parks, as well as National Park Service programs that protect, preserve and share nature, culture, and history in communities nationwide."
From eastern Nevada's Great Basin National Park to southern Nevada's Death Valley National Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, opportunities abound this year for you to reconnect with the places you love.
For more information on Find Your Park, click here.
2016 Wild Nevada Calendar
 Cover shot of the Monte Cristos by Janis Knight
Don't let the 2016 Wild Nevada Calendar slip by...especially at its discounted rate. Now, for only $9 (includes shipping!), you can partake of the beauty of wild Nevada all year long. Each month features a stunning image of a wild place here in Nevada, along with gorgeous shots of wildlife, inspirational quotes, and historic Nevada and conservation dates. All proceeds from the Wild Nevada calendar help support our mission in preserving wilderness through stewardship, outreach, and advocacy. Purchase Your Calendar Today!Congratulations and thank you to our 2016 Wild Nevada photographers who graciously allowed us to use their beautiful images to promote and protect wild Nevada (click on their name for more information and to view their website). Chip Carroon
Jim DavisAlison HardenburghLori HibbetJanis Knight
Kurt Kuznicki
Kirk Peterson
Jamey PylesSuzanne RenfrowBeau Rogers
Jeff Sullivan
Jose Witt
 Also brand new to our shop are brand new embroidered logo patches! Stick em to your backpack, shirt, or to show your love of wild Nevada 24/7.
South
January 30: Spring Monitoring Hike Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness for a day of hiking and spring monitoring in Mt. Charleston. This will be a great way to meet fellow spring monitoring volunteers or to get a first glimpse at Friends' Spring Monitoring program in southern Nevada, a citizen science program that involves hiking to springs and measuring water quality and flow rate. For more information and to RSVP, click here or e-mail Grace at [email protected]. February 4: Wild Speaker Series Experienced explorer and creator of BirdandHike.com, Jim Boone, will join us to share some of the best places to explore in Gold Butte, when to go, how to prepare, and best practices. This is a chance to get some of the best recreation information about Gold Butte and other areas. The Wild Speaker Series is a monthly meeting held on the first Thursday of every month. For more information or to let us know you're coming, RSVP here or e-mail Jesy at [email protected]. February 6: Yucca Camp Restoration We're teaming up with the Sierra Club to host a naturalization project in El Dorado Wilderness! Our work will focus on natural rehabilitation of areas leading into El Doradio Wilderness. This is a big project that will take all day so volunteers are invited to join us to camp at the project site that night! For more information or to RSVP, click here or e-mail Grace at [email protected].
North
February 10: Winter Slide Series Join our Associate Director, Kurt Kuznicki, at the next Winter Slide Series. The Winter Slide Series is a three part series held at Buenos Grill and graciously put together by one of our volunteers, Jeff Lock. For the second installment of the series, Kurt will be presenting his stunning photography of his favorite wild places. There is a $5 suggested donation with all proceeds going right back to Friends of Nevada Wilderness. For more information or to let us know you're coming, click here. Our Northern Nevada stewardship season is set to begin in March, dependent on weather. If you would like more information, feel free to e-mail our Stewardship Coordinators, Richie at [email protected] or Nora at [email protected] - or call our office at 775-324-7667.
For a complete list of upcoming events, click here.
Become a Member Today
"Philanthropy is the rent we pay for the joy and privilege we have for our space on this earth" - Jerold Panas
Become a member of Friends of Nevada Wilderness and support clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for people to get out and enjoy the wonders of nature. Your generous donation will go towards getting volunteers on the ground in wilderness areas, advocating for keeping public lands in public hands, and providing critical protection for Nevada's wilderness areas. Membership levels begin at $25 per year.
Follow us!
There's a lot going on in Wild Nevada and monthly e-newsletters aren't enough to keep up with it all. Head on over to our social media pages to get all the latest news, favorite photos from wild places, giveaways, and more.
     
Thanks for reading,
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