Take Action - Help Us Celebrate and say “Thank You!”

The largest conservation bill in the history of Nevada has just been introduced in Congress by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Representative Dina Titus! Most importantly, the bill would designate more than 1.3 million acres of Wilderness in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, keeping the Refuge safe from military expansion! Protecting the refuge has been the #1 priority at Friends and something we’ve been working on for many years.

It would also expand the Red Rock NCA by over 50,000 acres. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this major milestone and thanking Senator Cortez Masto, Representative Titus, and the entire bipartisan Nevada delegation who support it! We will be working even harder in the coming months to make sure this bill gets passed – and makes history! Hooray!!!

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Congresswoman Dina Titus have just introduced the single largest conservation bill in Nevada history, The Southern Nevada Economic Development & Conservation Act (SNEDCA). The bill would designate more than 1.6 million acres of new Wilderness, including 1.3 acres in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, which has been the top priority at Friends for many years.

Grace and the Springs Team (Tara, and Tali and myself) joined forces last week for a combined Wilderness Monitoring/spring surveying trip in the Wee Thump, South McCullough, and New York Mountains areas. These areas are surrounded by Lands with Wilderness Characteristics that we hope will one day receive Wilderness protection, so it’s important to keep track of their condition.

Every year on December 11th, #InternationalMountainDay aims to increase awareness about the importance of mountains. The conservation of mountains is a key factor in sustainable development. Nevada knows mountains. With more than 320 named mountain ranges and more than 172 summits, Nevada is the most mountainous state in the lower 48.

Protecting areas like the Mt. Charleston and Ruby Mountains Wildernesses is vital to saving endemic species, found here and nowhere else on earth, from going extinct. One of the many great reasons to #KeepNevadaWild.

As we gear up for #GivingTuesday and the holiday season, we are touched by the generosity of individuals and businesses that have supported the protection of our public wildlands over the years. We would like to recognize, that for Giving Tuesday, the John T. Drakulich Farmers Insurance company made a gift of $2,500 to protect and preserve the wonder, joy, and health the environment brings to our community. Our trail crews will be grateful for this amazing gift. Thank you!

UPDATE: Stewardship comes in many forms for our staff. Last week, Nora and Chris hiked into Mt Rose Wilderness, just before the winter storms, to spread native seed in areas we have been removing Musk Thistle for almost a decade.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival Livestream sponsored by KNIT was held on Saturday, October 10 to a virtual audience around Nevada and the US. With the pandemic limiting crowd sizes, the festival went online in our 8th year of hosting the event. We may have been limited in interaction but there was an abundance of cheer and fellowship as we enjoyed personal stories about public lands, overcoming obstacles, environmental issues, and Indigenous rights. We sought to highlight the spirit of what unites us in conservation, community, and our love for Wilderness.

We hope everyone felt as inspired as we did while watching the films. Thank you for supporting our annual event and fundraiser. We appreciate everyone who took the time to become a member or renew their membership with their ticket purchase. If you would like to become a member or make a gift to protect Wilderness, visit our donate page here. 

We look forward to seeing you at next year's event, in person!

National Wildlife Refuge Week is October 11-17. Observed the second full week of October, the celebration highlights the great network of lands and waters that conserves and protects Americans’ precious wildlife heritage. Nevada has 9 National Wildlife Refuges. Currently, we are seeking to add Wilderness protection to the roadless mountain ranges of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge which house a large population of bighorn sheep, Nevada's state animal. Join us in standing for permanent protection for the Desert Refuge by visiting https://www.dontbombthebighorn.org.

Before you give in to cabin fever and run to the nearest Wilderness Area, think about the small communities who call where we recreate their own backyard.

We know how frustrating it is to not be able to connect with your favorite Wilderness area or public lands right now. In uncertain times, we remain hopeful and look to our friends for support. Visit our website for online resources to get your virtual connection with nature and learn more about Wilderness and conservation.