Great Basin Plant Materials Center Dedicated

About 80 Federal, State, and local officials recently gathered on the grounds of the Newlands, Nevada, Experimental Farm to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Great Basin NRCS Plant Materials Center (PMC) and to observe the official transfer of the farm from the University of Nevada – Reno’s (UNR) College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources to NRCS. Dean David Thawley from UNR turned over the facility to Nevada NRCS State Conservationist Richard Vigil. This newest facility is the 27th NRCS PMC in the U.S.

The PMC will provide native plant species for rehabilitating and restoring lands following fires and drought conditions characteristic of the Great Basin area of Nevada. Previously, Nevada was serviced by a center in Aberdeen, Idaho, which covered parts of Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah. The new Fallon center will cover a majority of Nevada plus parts of Oregon and California and small pockets of western Utah.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, the keynote speaker at the event, emphasized that the PMC will replenish vegetation, expand the economy, and help provide alternative sources of energy for a Nevada that has changed in the face of drought, wildfires, and invasive plant species. "This is something we've needed for a long time. We need to fight back against drought, invasive species, and wildfires," he said.

The NRCS took over management of the farm in June 2006 and has already planted 67 varieties of poplar trees for a biofuel study. (from a Lahonton Valley News story by Christy Lattin)
Your contact is  Liz Warner, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 775-857-8500 ext. 105.