June 2009 Director's Report

NOTE: This was sent to DCNR employees today.

Good afternoon to everyone in DCNR. Here in Carson City the weather is mild, the birds are singing and, best of all, the legislature has adjourned for another 18 months!

As we begin to decompress and return to normal operations, this Director’s report will focus heavily on the outcome of the session.

Legislative update

All and all, DCNR fared pretty well in the 2009 legislative session.

From a budget perspective we did suffer some reductions, but they were not nearly as significant as they could have been (or as great as many other departments suffered).  The bottom line is that, for at least the next two years, we may be traveling less, reducing or eliminating some training opportunities or scrimping on operating supplies. Still, the good news is that while there will be a loss of some positions from the books, I am confident we can effectively continue to meet our agency missions and mandates.

On the policy side, we’re quite pleased with the overall outcome. Rather than detail the key bills in this report, we have made a summary available for your review. It can be viewed here. If you want more detail on a specific bill, go to the legislative website where you can access its history and language.

As state employees, I know we were all waiting with great anticipation for the outcome of the pay and benefit bills. With regard to benefits, the changes enacted were less expansive and impactful than proposed, and seem to primarily be aimed at new employees hired after July 1, 2010. There is no doubt that with the session now completed, both PEBP and PERS will be updating all employees with the changes that result from the decisions of this session.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone in DCNR involved in the legislative process. Budget preparation begins almost a year before the actual session and this time has been especially trying given Nevada’s economic situation. There are all sorts of pitfalls and unintended consequences that can occur during the session. It is amazing the variety and number of ways agencies can run afoul of the process. Without exception, this year our employees and staff did an exemplary and professional job in dealing with the fiscal and policy issues before the legislature. I especially want to thank each agency administrator [in alphabetical order: Pete Anderson, Cathy Barcomb, Leo Drozdoff, Jason King (as Acting State Engineer for Tracy Taylor), Jim Lawrence, Dave Morrow and Jennifer Newmark] for their hard work, perseverance and resilience.

Also thanks to all of the agency deputy administrators and fiscal and key policy staff who made great contributions to the process. Thanks to all DCNR employees for your patience and understanding during what is a busy and hectic time. I especially want to thank Deputy Director Kay Scherer who so effectively and efficiently tracked the bills and hearings while always providing her good humor, wisdom, support and insights into what is a complex and fluid process.

Furlough information

Numerous questions have arisen regarding the approved budget with respect to employee furloughs. The concept adopted by the legislature is that all employees (without regard to funding source) will be required to take 96 hours of unpaid leave per year (no, you don’t have to come to work on those days).  While furloughs sound simple, they are complicated to actually put into practice. By law, state agencies must be open fivedays a week (legal holidays excluded) so the four day a week concept enacted by some states is not an option. Numerous details must be addressed by July 1, and the one positive thing we do know is that the furlough days will not impact employee benefits or retirement.

The DCNR management team has already been discussing the furlough issue and, once we receive guidance from the State Department of Personnel, all of our agencies will begin to finalize the procedures and practices that address furloughs while providing adequate coverage for each particular agency. These procedures will then be communicated to agency staff members.

Nevada’s conservation nurseries

The Nevada Nursery Program was first established in 1957 to provide technical assistance and conservation plant materials — tree seedlings, shrubs, forbs and seed — to meet the conservation needs of Nevada’s private landowners and public land management agencies.

The nurseries also offer custom growing services for conservation plants native to or adapted to the Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert and Sierra Nevada. A video detailing the nursery operations is available here. The Las Vegas nursery is located at 9600 Tule Springs Road in Las Vegas (702-486-5411) and the Washoe Valley nursery is located on Eastlake Blvd. (775-849-0212). I have used the nurseries in the past and they are a great resource.

Free fishing day June 13

Saturday, June 13th is Nevada’s free fishing day. This is the one day when anglers – residents and non-residents alike – can enjoy a day of fishing in Nevada without purchasing a state fishing license or trout stamp. The Nevada state parks with fishing opportunities include: Washoe Lake, Sand Harbor and the Lake Tahoe Backcountry (Marlette and Hobart), Dayton, Rye Patch, Lahontan, Ft. Churchill, South Fork, Wild Horse, Cave Lake, Ward Charcoal, Spring Valley, Echo Canyon, Beaver Dam and Big Bend of the Colorado.

Go here for a map of Nevada’s State Parks.

Environmentally friendly buses approved for Nevada school districts

Fifteen Nevada public school districts will get new, environmentally friendly buses as part of the state’s School Bus Replacement Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection received $1,730,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Clean Diesel Grant Program to fund the bus replacements.

The funds will pay for 17 new school buses, replacing diesel-powered buses that are model year 1991 or older. The newer models produce significantly lower emissions. The NDEP expects delivery of the new buses between March and June 2010. The older buses will be removed from service.

New websites

DCNR has a new website, which features easy access to the department’s numerous divisions as well as the ability to quickly connect to the department on social networks. The department has been taking advantage of social media – Youtube, Twitter, etc. – for some time now, and the new site design allows for quicker access and the ability to feature more visual information, such as video and news updates. My thanks to Bob Conrad, Communications Officer in the Director’s Office, for keeping us on the cutting edge of public outreach. In at least one instance Twitter proved to be an invaluable tool in communicating with the legislature.

The Division of Environmental Protection recently launched a blog to update its news in a central location. Jill LuFrano, the division’s new public information officer, launched the site and manages its news. Visit NDEP’s blog here.

The Division of Forestry also just launched its new website, initiated by NDF’s John Watermolen, which features an incredible amount of information about NDF’s many programs around the state. Visit NDF here.

Enjoy spring!

All the best.

Allen Biaggi
Director