Photo: Peter Prehn, Bristlecone at Great Basin NP, (Some rights reserved)
Planeta.com is updating our guide to Wild Nevada – the state’s biodiversity, wildlife, parks and protected areas and the opportunities for ecotourism, conscious, local, Indigenous, and responsible travel. Corrections and suggestions are welcome as comments on this page.
Headlines
How a fight over transgender rights derailed environmentalists in Nevada – Politico @jholz__
Central Nevada ichthyosaur fossil reveals surprising information – KOLO
Let’s rebuild our outdoor recreation economy – Jacky Rosen/RGJ
Growth at what cost? @danagentrylv
A showdown in Nevada could determine the future of electric vehicles in the U.S. – Salon
Nevada COVID-19 Response Team discuss the virus’ impact on wildlife
Silver State Sights: Cathedral Gorge State Park – KOLO
Kudos
Special kudos go to Jim Boone @Jlboone, a longtime vocal advocate for wilderness and wildlife conservation, focusing on southern Nevada and the greater Southwest. Public lands and national monuments are under threat in the United States with many people unaware of their value and often how to visit. Jim’s website Bird and Hike – http://birdandhike.com – encourages people to visit, learn about, and fall in love with the Mojave Desert.
Also of note, the Hiking with a Purpose meetups — https://www.meetup.com/HikeWithAPurposeLV — a service project working in numerous areas around southern Nevada, with a focus on the Gold Butte region, to locate and knock down illegal mining claim markers. For more information on the marker problem, see:
http://www.birdandhike.com/Postcards/151215_ClaimMarkers/_ClaimMarkers.htm
Outdoor Recreation
U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.7 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Boost Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Sector in Nevada
U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.9 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Boost Business and Job Growth in the Outdoor Recreation Sector in Boulder City
Google Maps
Love this feature and map! This Desert Companion page does not credit the authors, but kudos! Question: Any recommended hikes near Jean? We are visiting Seven Magic Mountains with frequency and would like some options in that corner of the valley.
Natalie Burt
It’s bloom time: Where to look for desert wildflowers
Henderson area teems with winged visitors from north
Deborah Wall
https://www.reviewjournal.com/?s=deborah+wall&orderby=date
For a great winter hike, check out natural bridge
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-columns/deborah-wall/for-a-great-winter-hike-check-out-natural-bridge
https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/business-columns/inside-gaming/las-vegas-is-an-ideal-base-camp-for-outdoor-adventure
State Parks
3.5 million people visit Nevada’s state parks each year. World famous Lake Tahoe and Valley of Fire have a significant amount of visitation from outside Nevada and outside the USA. Off the radar parks include Beaver Dam (outside of Caliente). Adjacent to Tule Springs National Monument, Ice Age Fossils State Park debuted a new visitor center in 2019.
parks.nv.gov – Facebook – @nvstateparks
New Administrator Hopes To Bring Interpreter Programs To More State Parks
http://dcnr.nv.gov/news/robert-mergell-appointed-to-lead-nevada-division-of-state-parks
Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park
parks.nv.gov
travelnevada.com
Sea monster ichthyosaur left state fossil – RJ
Harry Brean: I just love that the official fossil of the driest state in the nation is a giant sea monster found on a mountainside in a landlocked desert.
DCNR
dcnr.nv.gov
The year that was: Looking back on Nevada’s conservation and preservation highlights in 2018
Flickr
@NevDCNR
Recommended Listening
Fewer Butterflies Means Bigger Problems For Nevada’s Ecosystem
IndyMatters Episode 79: Brad Crowell, natural resources chief, talks water, sage grouse and wildfire in a Sisolak administration
The Nevada Independent’s #IndyMatters podcast. Reporter Daniel Rothberg sat down with Brad Crowell, who heads the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, to talk about water, sage grouse conservation and wildfires. They also talked about what policies and aren’t changing under a new gubernatorial administration. “I think you’ll see from this administration more leaning in on addressing climate and energy problems,… focusing on clean energy, focusing on reducing emissions,” he said. @danielrothberg @NevDCNR @TheNVIndy
Elsewhere on the Web
Recent Earthquakes in California and Nevada – @SCEC
alertwildfire.org – @AlertWildfire – @nvfirecams
Great Basin Bug Lab
Ward Charcoal Ovens – Wikipedia
nevadawilderness.org – @friendsofnvwild
rgj.com/outdoors/explore
birdandhike.com
hikinglasvegas.com
nature.org – @Nature_Nevada
getoutdoorsnevada.org – @getoutdoorsnv
Southern Nevada Agency Partnership
Southern Nevada District, for BLM
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, for NPS
Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, for FWS
Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, for USFS
State Historic Preservation Office, for volunteer cultural site stewardship
The Tahoe Rim Trail
The John Muir Trail
Kershaw Ryan State Park
Seeking Lost
seekinglost.com
@seekinglost1
Facebook
Friends of Nevada Wilderness
Nevada State Parks
Protect Basin and Range
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
River Mountains Loop Trail
Nevada-Naturalist-Program
BLMNevada
Flickr
nevada dcnr
blm nevada
wild nevada
Twitter
@NVStateParks
@Jlboone
@ByBenSpillman
@getoutdoorsnv
@goldbutte
@Branch11
@Sloancanyonf
@friendsofnvwild
@GreatBasinNPS
@basin_and_range
@lostcitymuseum
@NevDCNR
@birdandhike
@RefriedBrean
@ByBenSpillman
@Sierra_Outdoors
@ProtectNevada
@blmnv
@Nature_Nevada
@NvDOW
@GreatBasinWater
@SCToiyabe
@GBInstitute
@NevadaWater
@colinrobertson
@ByBenSpillman
@Sierra_Outdoors
Spotlight on the Sage Grouse
Sage Grouse Conservation
Sage Gouse Initiative
Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter
sierraclub.org/toiyabe
Facebook
@SCToiyabe
sierraclub.org: We are YOUR LOCAL activists in Nevada and the Eastern Sierra, fighting on your behalf for the following:
- Protecting public lands, wildlife and their habitats, and our region’s scarce waters from speculation and development;
- Engaging with our elected environmental champions at all levels to pursue 100% renewable energy, community solar, protecting Nevada’s water law, better infrastructure for electric vehicles and mass transit, and walkable, healthier communities instead of sprawl;
- Advocating for smart-growth, open space protection, and transportation that makes sense in regional planning efforts;
- Protecting essential waters from “water-mining” (using water faster than it recharges) and development; and
- Recruiting, training, and empowering volunteer activists to speak up on these issues and more!
Southern Nevada Conservancy
southernnevadaconservancy.org
Facebook
@snconservancy
Santa Rosa Mountains
Wikipedia
Walker Lake Recreation Area
https://www.blm.gov/visit/walker-lake-recreation-area
https://www.walkerbasin.org
Nevada lake poised to become great restoration story
Walker Lake – Wikipedia
Mountains
White Mountains are home to Nevada’s tallest peak, Boundary Peak
Monitor Range
Monitor_Range
mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=4429156
trails.com/activity.aspx?area=10143
Wallace Canyon
Wallace Canyon – Explore Nevada
Nevada Museums Association
Preserve Nevada
Nevada Division of State Parks
The Sump
outdoorproject.com/united-states/nevada/sump
nevadaappeal.com/news/2017/dec/21/fascinating-geology-found-at-the-sump/
unlv.edu/news/article/photojournal-belly-sump
Embedded Tweets
Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA)
Projects Funded by SNPLMA
blm.gov/SNPLMA
Economic Benefits
“Outdoor recreation supports over 59,000 jobs in the state,” Colin Robertson with the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation
Conservation Framework
2021 Survey
http://parks.nv.gov/about/public-notices
English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021NVOutdoorRecreationSurveyEnglish
Spanish: https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/Encuesta2021SobreRecreationalAireLibre
The Nevada Divisions of Outdoor Recreation and State Parks announce the release of a public survey on outdoor recreation in Nevada. The survey is part of the federally required Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), which is updated every five years. This plan establishes criteria for funding outdoor recreation projects in Nevada, through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) program, and guides outdoor recreation development over the next five years. Public input is critical for creating a comprehensive plan that addresses the outdoor recreation needs of all Nevadans.
Recommended Viewing: Outdoor Nevada
pbs.org/show/outdoor-nevada
vegaspbs.org
Recommended Viewing: Wild Nevada
Hosted by Chris Orr @chrisorr_nv and Dave Santina @dsantina
pbsreno.org/watch/wildnevada
PBS Reno’s ‘Wild Nevada’ season 5 picked up for distribution by American Public Television
Clark County
clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/environment_and_sustainability/clark_county_lands_bill/index.php
Honor Spirit Mountain
The proposed Avi Kwa Ame (Ah-VEE kwa-ah-may) National Monument in Southern Nevada contains some of the most visually stunning, biologically diverse, and culturally significant lands in the entire Mojave Desert.
https://honorspiritmountain.org
Wikipedia
List of Nevada state parks
Gass Peak
Sagebrush
Thunderstorm
Features
Planeta.com