NvACD 2006 Annual Meeting to be held in Elko October 24 & 25, 2006! Meeting Agenda Registration Form Purpose:  The Division of Conservation Districts provides administrative support to the State Conservation Commission, which develops policy and regulations for the State’s 28 locally elected conservation districts. Conservation districts provide services to individual landowners and coordinates with other public and private agencies for the protection and orderly development of the State’s renewable resources. The agency is the official state agency cooperating with the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides technical assistance to the conservation districts. Organizational Structure:  The Division of Conservation Districts is one of nine divisions and agencies comprising the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The chief executive is the acting administrator who also serves as the state land registrar, executive officer for the Nevada Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Administrator of the Division of State Lands and executive secretary to the Conservation Commission. Statutory Authority:  NRS 548 Number of Employees:  3 FTE/2000

Accomplishments:  During the biennium, several conservation districts received training in strategic planning. Training has also been provided to Districts to assist them in effective conservation and management and the development of quality education programs. The division continues to conduct training with the conservation districts for capacity building, multi-year planning and the use of the supervisor’s handbook.

Under the Tahoe Bond Act, $20 million was made available for erosion and stream environment zone restoration. Almost $12 million of these funds have been awarded for 17 projects, 7 of which have been completed. Another 10 projects are currently under design. The funds go to Washoe, Douglas and Carson City counties and the Nevada Department of Transportation.

The Division provided a representative to the Bureau of Land Management Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council. Division staff also provided technical advisory support to the Western Power Administration’s Bioenergy Program and the National Association of Conservation Districts Public Lands and Pasture Committee.

Divisional goals are being addressed as district programs expand and by implementing conservation plans on private lands, undertaking projects to improve water quality, taking an active role with other partners on weed control, expanding equipment programs to provide state of the art technology for reseeding rangelands, doing watershed restoration on the Carson River and expanding memorandums of understanding with federal agencies to do joint conservation programs on both private and public lands. The Nevada Tahoe Conservation District was a leader, in conjunction with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, in the Backyard Conservation Program.

Districts are active in agricultural education in the classroom and have been involved in programs such as: Adopt a Stream; Project Wet; the production of educational materials, such as brochures, handbooks and videos; conservation poster contests; the Nevada Youth Range Camp; the Steamboat Creek restoration project; and noxious weed control activities.

The Conservation Commission provides all 28 locally led conservation districts with guidance in the volunteer process of implementing conservation practices and programs.

For local Conservation District news, announcements and forms, please visit our FORMS page.