Nevada Department of Wildlife
The Ted C. Frantz Employee of the Year Award is acknowledged as the pinnacle award for all Nevada Department of Wildlife employees. The honor is to recognize significant achievements during the previous year toward the mission of the agency or the conservation, management, enhancement of wildlife in Nevada that are clearly above and beyond his or her normal duties.
This year two nominees were so impressive NDOW Director Tony Wasley couldn’t settle for just one winner and selected Chet Van Dellen, Wildlife Diversity Staff Specialist and GIS Coordinator, and Christy Klinger, Wildlife Diversity Biologist as recipients.
“With the work Chet and Christy did this past year it just didn’t seem right to honor one and not the other,” said Wasley. “These two are great examples of the dedication and passion that make up the men and women of the Nevada Department of Wildlife.”
Van Dellen and Klinger were both presented with the award at the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioner’s November meeting in Reno.
“Both Chet and Christy are committed to excellence in their work, are leaders in their respective fields and have contributed significantly to the advancement of wildlifemanagement in our state,” said Laura Richards, Wildlife Diversity Division administrator.
Van Dellen has been a leader in the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) Initiative on Wildlife Corridors and Crucial Habitat. He helped lead a team of GIS experts in the state wildlife agencies of the 16 western states that make up the WGA.
This ground-breaking project was completed in December, and now many of the western states have a publically available mapping tool (or Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool–CHAT) that can be used to encourage energy development that minimizes impact to wildlife and protects important habitat and corridors. This effort provides a west-wide GIS internet tool that will provide users with the ability to view the western states at the landscape scale and visualize how those states prioritize habitat based on wildlife resource concerns.
“Knowing who has previously won this award, I was very honored, especially to be sharing it with such an exemplary co-recipient. It was very gratifying to know my work was appreciated at such a high level,” said Van Dellen. “It has been fun and very humbling to have my peers congratulate me.”
Among Klinger’s many accomplishments, she also developed and completed a comprehensive raptor survey methodology and protocol for use among all of the state biologists and helped train new biologists on the survey methodologies. This protocol has been requested by several other western states including California and Arizona.
Her attention to detail has been recognized by federal agencies and project proponents. During development of local wind energy projects, Klinger was recognized for her inputs during the environmental review and development process for bat and bird surveys and protocols related to wind energy projects (Searchlight Wind and others) in southern Nevada. These detailed inputs minimized impacts to wildlife affected by the project.
Klinger has also brought the Mine Claim Marker project (hollow plastic poles), which impacts many types of wildlife, but particularly birds, to the forefront. Her documentation and reporting of the impacts have led to national publications of the impacts of mine markers to wildlife. Her field coordination efforts have lead to significant removals of mine claim markers throughout the southern region and she continues to assist other regions as well.
“I am very honored to be placed in the same category as past recipients such as Jon Sjoberg, Shawn Espinosa and Ken Gray to name a few,” said Klinger. “I simply embrace my responsibilities and just try to do my job to the best of my ability, for the conservation of Nevada’s wildlife, every single day. I love my position at NDOW, and feel privileged and grateful to have it.”
The Nevada Department of Wildlife protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license.
