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Volunteers removing an abandoned refrigerator during a restoration project at North Black Rock Range © Photographer unknown
Click the photo to donate to help future restoration efforts.

Friends marks it's 25th Anniversary Year

A note from Shaaron Netherton, Executive Director

Dear Friends of Nevada Wilderness Members,

It’s hard to believe Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Before we know it, spring will be here, and it will be time to get out on the ground and enjoy Nevada’s wild places. 2009 marks Friends of Nevada Wilderness’ 25th anniversary, and we will be having a special line-up of great events and trips for our members this year. I’m giving you a sneak preview so you can put some of these on your calendar. I hope you will be able to join us on some or all of these great happenings.

For the Wild
Shaaron

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Events — You are Invited

Luncheon with Nevada state legislators
Monday, February 16th — 11:30 AM

Friends of Nevada Wilderness has been working with our partners in the conservation community to put together the Conservation Priorities for a Sustainable Nevada. A brief summary of these priorities is listed later in this newsletter.

These groups will be holding a luncheon at the Nevada Legislature on Monday, February 16th, at 11:30 AM. This will be a great opportunity to meet your legislators and show them you support the conservation community's priorities. The event will be catered by the Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife and will feature some of Nevada's best game. If you would like to attend, the event will be at the Nevada Legislature in Room 3100. Please RSVP to Kyle Davis at [email protected] by Sunday February 8th with your name and that you are with Friends of Nevada Wilderness.

 

Thursday, March 26th – Nevada State Museum
600 N Carson Street, Carson City

Enjoy the beauty of Nevada’s Wild Places and learn about protecting the Gold Butte Region:

5:00 - 7:00 PM: FREE Gala reception for The Art of Nature: Images from the Wildlands of Nevada, an exquisite series of photographs, sketches, and paintings by wildlife artist, naturalist, and Friends of Nevada Wilderness Board Member, Sharon K. Schafer in Nevada State Museum Upper Middle Gallery.

7:00 - 8:30 PM: FREE Multimedia presentation on The Art of Nature: Images from the Wildlands of Nevada by Sharon Schafer; cosponsored by Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Friends of the Nevada State Museum.

 

Saturday, March 28th – Just for Kids (and kids at heart)

1:00PM at the “Fort” 2375 Dickerson Road, Reno (west on 2nd Street from Keystone) for a kids version of Sharon Shafer’s The Art of Nature: Images from the Wildlands of Nevada. There will be art supplies on hand after the presentation for kids to draw their own wilderness art to be used to help protect Gold Butte.

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Wilderness Restoration Trips

March 27-29: Solider Meadows/Fly Canyon

Join Pat Bruce for a vehicle route restoration project


June 19-21: National Sheldon Antelope Refuge

Enjoy the longest day of the year at the height of the wild flower season while removing unneeded fence in the incredible National Sheldon Antelope Refuge.

Many, many more trips will be added through the year, so keep checking Friends' website. If you want to help keep these great opportunities coming please click the button to donate:


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Conservation Priorities for a Sustainable Nevada

The Conservation Priorities for a Sustainable Nevada are four consensus bills to take to the Nevada Legislature that will improve the land, air, water and wildlife of our state. The priorities are the following:

Public Land Protection

Presently, Nevada does not have a system of titling and registration of off highway vehicles (OHV). As a result, a small number of irresponsible users are causing widespread damage to our public lands, wildlife habitat and agricultural areas. Our state should implement a system to register OHVs with an identifiable tag so that people can report irresponsible users.


Accurate Carbon Accounting

With a new administration and new Congress in Washington, legislation to control the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is likely to be passed relatively soon. The cost of controlling carbon needs to be accurately accounted for in the resource planning process through the PUC if Nevada ratepayers are to be adequately protected from skyrocketing fuel costs.


Responsible Water Management

As the driest state in the nation, Nevadans understand the importance of sound water management to make our precious resource stretch to ensure our viability. Currently, there is no law on the books to require the State Engineer to recognize the interconnection between ground and surface water (conjunctive use). This law needs to be enacted to make sure that future state engineers take this into account when making their decisions.


Wildfire Prevention and Habitat Protection

Cheat grass, an invasive species not native to the Great Basin, is taking over the landscape, crowding out native plants, destroying wildlife habitat and serving as a fuel for expensive and devastating wildfires. If our state does not act now, we will face further negative consequences, including more wildfires, loss of wildlife habitat and the potential listing of species such as the sage grouse. We need to create a position within the Department of Wildlife to seek and leverage funds for this fight. Return to Events.

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Stan Weidert remembered

Life-long conservationist, Stan Weidert, passed away on Christmas Day, 2008. An avid outdoorsman and long-time Friends' member, Stan was very active with several other groups including the Sierra Club, Earth Share and the Sierra Nevada Alliance. Stan loved to lead outings into the wild places of the Great Basin.

Carl and Stan Weidert Biological (the business that Stan and brother Carl ran for the last 34 years) collects and sells pollens to pharmaceutical companies for allergy extracts.

Stan's family will host a shared potluck picnic celebrating him at Brovan's Ranch, Inwood (Shingletown) on Saturday, June 27. Donations in Stan's memory can be made to Inwood's Bear Creek Watershed Group (send c/o Carl Weidert, 7577 Sparky Lohr Lane, Shingletown, CA 96088).

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2009 Wild Nevada Calendars Half-price Sale

2009 Wild Nevada Calendar cover
2009 Wild Nevada Calendars — Originally $12 plus shipping — Now only: $6 plus shipping.  Click here to order online, swing by our office at 1 Booth Street in Reno or give us a call at (775) 324-7667.


Visit our website's TAKE ACTION pages for other ways to get involved with Friends of Nevada Wilderness.

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