$1.2 million in funds available for wildfire restoration

$1.2 million in funds available for wildfire restoration and other sagebrush ecosystem improvements

Nevada’s Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team ready to assist applicants

CARSON CITY, Nev. – This year, wildfires in Nevada have claimed over a million acres, resulting in a significant loss of productive agricultural land and critical sage grouse habitat. The USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has made $1.2 million available to fund wildfire restoration. Landscape enhancement and restoration projects within sage grouse habitat areas will be a priority for awards from the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program Fund (RCPP). The deadline to submit applications is November 16.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, seeding, sagebrush establishment, watering infrastructure, meadow/riparian improvements, brush management, and prescribed, targeted, or deferred grazing. Nevada’s Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team (SETT) is available to assist applicants to identify projects that will benefit landowners and sage grouse habitat. The SETT will also work with applicants to estimate the amount of potential credits that can be generated from the project through the Nevada Conservation Credit System (CCS).

The Nevada CCS is a state mitigation program designed to offset impacts from manmade disturbances through improvement and protection projects that result in a net conservation gain for sage grouse habitat in Nevada. Private land within sage grouse habitat can be enhanced, restored and better protected from threats, to generate and sell credits into the CCS. Nevada’s CCS is an innovative tool as part of a larger effort of Western states to prevent a listing of sage grouse as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For additional information or assistance, please contact: Ethan Mower, 775-684-8600, ext. 25, emower@sagebrusheco.nv.gov, or Kathleen Petter, 775-684-8600, ext. 24, kpetter@sagebrusheco.nv.gov.