Habitat

The featured speaker at Monday's Democratic luncheon will be biologist Craig Downer, who will explain with specificity why he strongly supports SB90, a bill which designates the wild mustang as the official state horse of the State of Nevada.

The Legislative Counsel’s digest of SB90 states: "Existing law designates numerous state emblems, including, without limitation, a state bird, state insect, state reptile, state animal, state fish and others. This bill designates the wild mustang as the official state horse of the State of Nevada."

The body of the bill reads as follows:

Taking advantage of statewide moisture in the forecast, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will conduct prescribed fire operations across several portions of the forest this week as part of the forest’s hazardous fuels reduction effort and active forest management program. Also, weather and conditions permitting, the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team will continue widespread prescribed fire operations this week in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The column of smoke seen Thursday from Highway 50 East is at Empire Ranch Golf Course, which is conducting prescribed burns to accomplish hazardous fuels reduction and wildlife habitat restoration, according to the Carson City Fire Department.

RENO — With much of the State of Nevada listed as in extreme drought, Nevadans are facing forecasts for a mild winter, with little precipitation since the rainy season started. With these designations, southern Nevadans are facing a mild and dry winter and northern Nevadans are looking at an uncertain forecast. All could face water restrictions, crop or pasture loss and, with exceptional drought, water shortage emergencies.

Empire Ranch Golf Course will be conducting prescribed burns to accomplish hazardous fuels reduction and wildlife habitat restoration. These burns are conducted within strict environmental conditions and under a permit issued by Carson City Fire Department. Smoke will be seen throughout the Carson area, please don’t report this as a fire. Only call 911 if you have an emergency.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection announced Tuesday that it has received $1 million in Clean Water Act grant funds provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency that will be used to complete 11 projects to reduce “nonpoint source pollution” and improve water quality across the state.

It was an eventful year around the Carson City region notwithstanding the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's some notable stories that were not pandemic related that happened in 2020.

Every winter, Carson Valley becomes a nesting ground for bald eagles, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, owls and other wildlife as they congregate to the region. Carson Valley’s expansive open space and cattle ranches provide habitat for the wintering birds of prey.

Snakes are on the table at the next Rotary Club of Carson City meeting. Not literally, but they will be the topic of discussion. As always, guests are invited to attend the online meeting.

That colorful fish looks pretty in that store aquarium, and you cannot help but think how much your friend or loved one might enjoy such a pet, but the Nevada Department of Wildlife is hoping you will stop and think about the animal’s future before laying down your hard-earned cash.

In other words, consider what is going to happen to that pet if it is no longer wanted.

The Carson City Senior Center and Meals on Wheels Carson City is proud to announce that it will be participating in the 2020 Subaru Share the Love Event as a member of Meals on Wheels America — one of four national Share the Love charitable partners supported through the campaign.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in partnership with NV Energy and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, is seeking public comment on the NV Energy Resilience Corridors project. This project proposes vegetation treatments along roughly 43 miles of power line corridors on approximately 5,300 acres of National Forest System lands.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is initiating a public comment period on the proposed Forest-Wide Prescribed Fire Restoration Project. The purpose of this project is to increase the pace and scale of prescribed burning on lands within 6.2 million acres of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada and a small portion of eastern California.

As part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s hazardous fuels reduction efforts, both Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts’ fire crews will conduct pile burning beginning in November 2020 through May 2021, weather and fuel conditions permitting.

The Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department opened three new segments of trail following an Oct. 30 ribbon cutting. These fun new trails are part of a network of non-motorized paths that connect residents with almost 5,000 acres of Carson City Parks and Open Space within the Carson River/Prison Hill area. Future plans include completing a multi-use path around Prison Hill.

Carson Middle School STEM instructor, Katelyn O'Laughlin organized her students and staff members for a fall clean-up event in the Wetlands habitat. Efforts will continue Wednesday, Nov. 4 from when school ends at 2:15 to 4 p.m.

As part of the Carson Ranger District’s Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest recently released sheep in the Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Fuels Reduction Project area just south of Jacks Valley Road in Carson City, Nev.

Volunteer citizen scientists working with the League to Save Lake Tahoe conducted surveys of Donner and Spooner Lakes to detect aquatic invasive species, and restored native wetland habitat in Johnson Meadow in September. Both efforts are aimed at preserving the Tahoe-Truckee region’s unique ecology.

The state’s Board of Wildlife Commissioners is currently seeking nominations for the 2020 Wayne E. Kirch Nevada Wildlife Conservation Award.

This fall, bring home the beauty of Nevada’s natural landscape! Operated by the Nevada Division of Forestry, the State Tree Nursery in Washoe Valley has a great selection of Nevada-friendly plants available for purchase. All plants are grown and maintained at the nursery and are conditioned to survive Northern Nevada’s cold winters and hot, dry summers.

They wore pajamas, were wrapped in blankets, and carried cups of Dutch Bros and Starbucks as they gathered to celebrate the beginning of their senior year and the almost end of the soothing summer weather. The Class of 2020-2021, while practicing social distancing and wearing the latest fashion in face masks, gathered together at 6:00 a.m. Sept. 4 on the bleachers of the CHS football field to watch their sun rise.

Just another beautiful morning on a recent walk in Carson City.

The Pahrump Poolfish is an endangered species that just cannot seem to get a break. It has lived on the edge of extinction since the early 1970’s when groundwater pumping caused Manse Spring, the only warm water spring in which they were found, to dry up and remaining poolfish were relocated to various locations in Nevada for safe keeping.

LAKE TAHOE — A new control tool for aquatic invasive plants that clog waterways, reduce water clarity and provide cover for other invasive species at Lake Tahoe continues to show impressive results in its third year of testing. The tool is a light array mounted under a working barge, which trolls through the marina dousing the plants on the lake bottom with ultraviolet-C light.

CARSON CITY — It’s a new era for wildland conservation. In Nevada, taking a proactive, science-driven approach to inform habitat conservation and management decisions is the foremost priority of the Nevada Division of Natural Heritage.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is accepting applications for hunting reservations from those who want to hunt during the first two days of the 2020 duck and goose seasons at the Overton Wildlife Management Area or opening day at the Key Pittman WMA.

Summit Lake in remote northwest Nevada is home to the only self-sustaining, robust, lake population of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, North America’s largest freshwater native trout species.

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is excited to announce that Ormat Technologies, Inc and Crawford Cattle LLC are partnering to protect vital sagebrush habitat in Humboldt County while simultaneously advancing development of clean energy infrastructure for Nevada.

The Bee Informed Partnership is a national collaboration of leading agricultural science universities and research labs that examines and tries to better understand honey bee declines in the United States.

The Chamber's Leadership class graduated yesterday afternoon. It's been quite the year for this Class of 2020, but they were able to complete two projects in the midst of all this uncertainty.

Yesterday's graduation was held at the trailhead of the Foothill Trail.