Lincoln County news.
This page is dedicted to Lincoln County news. These stories are provided by a variety of sources and include news about Alamo, Caliente, Panaca, Pioche, Rachel, Nevada Silver Trails, and the State of Nevada.This archive will continue to grow so please check back often for the latest information, or join our email list to receive periodic updates.
For local news, the Lincoln County Record is the official newspaper of Lincoln County and is a great resource for information.
April 10, 2010
2010 NEVADA FIRE CONTRACTING WORKSHOP
A Nevada Contracting workshop will be presented by the NCED, U.S. Forest Service and BLM. If your company’s products include bottled water, ice, portable toilets, office equipment, and many other products that a "small city" supporting firefighters would need, please consider attending this workshop. The BLM and Forest Service are interested in a wide variety of products, and this is an excellent opportunity to meet their representative and to find out about their selection process. Please spread the word to your clients, colleagues, readers and viewers!
When: April 17, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: BLM, Ely Office, 702 N Industrial Blvd., Ely
More information: 775-687-9900 (NCED’s Procurement Outreach Program)
Click here to download a flyer with more information.
April 2, 2010
RAINBOW CANYON UPDATE
Portions of Nevada State Highway 317, the Rainbow Canyon Road, from 1 mile north of Elgin to the junction of US-93, are now under construction. There are 160 working days allotted to complete the project. There is a misconception that the entire length of the project will be reconstructed but in actuality only the areas damaged by the flood will be reconstructed to bring the highway back to pre-flood conditions.
The contractors working hours are Monday through Thursday, 6:00am to 4:30pm. The roadway is open to the traveling public during non-working hours with minimal restrictions. During working hours the public can expect delays associated with the construction activities. We try to minimize the delays, but due to existing roadway conditions, delays maybe up to 30 minutes. In the near future the contractor will start placing automated flaggers; these are portable stop lights in areas of extreme hazards. The public will have to really be careful and obey these lights due to the roadway not being wide enough to accommodate two vehicles.
Current work being performed: Excavating for concrete overflows, placing borrow material in areas washed out by the flood, constructing concrete overflows, constructing temporary detours and performing maintenance on the roadway. Construction activities are taking place throughout the length of the project.
The projected completion date for this contract is early November of 2010.
March 9, 2010
GREATER LINCOLN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FY 2010 NDOT TRANSPORTATION WORKSHOP
The Nevada Department of Transportation will be coming to Caliente on Tuesday, March 9. The workshop will be held at the Bureau of Land Management Caliente Field Office, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. The Lincoln County Commissioners, Town Board, City and County offices, and Chambers of Commerce members have been invited, along with interested members of the public, to learn about the programs that the Nevada Department of Transportation has going. Specifically in Lincoln County, this includes the Highway 317/Rainbow Canyon Road repairs, and a grant request for a bike/walking path for schoolchildren adjacent to Highway 319. The exact outline for the workshop is given below; we welcome you to attend.
1. INTRODUCTIONS – Rudy Malfabon, NDOT Deputy Director and other agencies in attendance
2. PURPOSE of the WORKSHOP – Why are we here? 3. BRIEF DISCUSSION about NDOT Operations/handouts – Districts, NDOT Website, NDOT Contact List
4. DETAILED DISCUSSION ABOUT NDOT PROGRAMS - State Transportation Improvement
Program, the Annual Work Program to include the Long Range Element, Enhancements,
Landscape Program
(Corridor and 50/50 Community Match), Safety, and Bridges
5. DETAILED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROJECT SUBMITTAL APPLICATION PROCESS
6. GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT NDOT FUNDING (Federal, State Gas Tax, Congressional Earmarks,
and Stimulus Package) – Vehicle Miles Travel (VMT) Study
7. DISCUSS MULTIMODAL PLANNING ACTIVITIES – Transit, Rail, Airports, Bikes, Small Urban
Planning and Safe Routes to School – Connecting Nevada Study
8. PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON NEVADA STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN – Enforcement,
Education, Engineering and EMS: A cooperative effort with a goal to save lives
9. BRIEFLY DISCUSS NDOT’s LOGO PROGRAM (Adopt a Highway & Sponsor a Highway)
10. DISCUSS THE COUNTY’S CONCERNS – Esmeralda (Snow Removal); Nye (Johnnie’s
curve/SR 160 shoulders); Lincoln (Apex to Mesquite & Moapa Valley (AMMV) Corridor
Study/SR 317 construction)
11. QUESTIONS/CONCLUSION
January 5, 2010
FORMER KERSHAW-RYAN SUPERVISOR RECEIVES CONSERVATION AWARD
CEDAR CITY, Utah – The Nevada Division of State Parks’ former Kershaw-Ryan State Park supervisor will be honored and will receive the William Hornaday gold medal for his work in conservation over the past 30 years.
Bruce Winslow will be presented this award during a luncheon in his honor on January 16, 2010, in Cedar City’s Sullivan’s Cafe at 12:00 noon, Mountain Standard Time.
Winslow was an outdoor educator throughout his career and worked for several conservation agencies including Utah State Parks, the National Park Service at Zion National Park and the Bureau of Land Management as a recreation planner.
Winslow was the Tread Lightly trainer of the year and a state coordinator for the National Park Service’s Leave No Trace program. He is also a 50-year veteran with the Boy Scouts of America.
The Hornaday awards program was started in 1914 by William T. Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Park and founder of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Hornaday was an active and outspoken champion of natural resource conservation and a leader in saving the American bison from extinction. He named the award the Wildlife Protection Medal. Its purpose was to challenge Americans to work constructively for wildlife conservation and habitat protection.
After his death in 1937, the award was renamed in Dr. Hornaday’s honor and became a Boy Scouts of America award. Adults can receive the Hornaday Badge, or the William T. Hornaday Gold Medal.
This award is by nomination only and is for an adult scouter or leader who has rendered distinguished and unusual service to natural resource conservation and environmental improvement over a period of at least 20 years. Nominations are accepted from any recognized conservation/environmental protection organization.
October 11, 2007
CHRISTMAS TREE-CUTTING PERMITS AVAILABLE
ELY Nev.– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Caliente Field Station is making Christmas tree-cutting permits available to the public. Permits cost $3 each with a limit of five per purchaser. Permits may be purchased in-person at the BLM Caliente Field Station or through the mail. The BLM Caliente Field Station will sell permits over-the-counter through Monday, Dec. 24, or until they are sold out, whichever comes first. The BLM Caliente Field Station is located at 1400 S. Front Street, Caliente, Nev. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office will also be open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays-only, Nov. 24, and Dec. 1, 8 and 15.
Mail-in applications will be accepted on a "first-come first-serve" basis through Friday, Nov. 16. All mail-in applications must include payment in the form of a check or money order, payable to the Bureau of Land Management. Mail-in applications should be addressed to the BLM Caliente Field Station (Attention: Christmas Tree Permits) PO Box 237, Caliente, NV 89008. Applicants should allow two weeks for processing.
Christmas trees may be harvested on all BLM-administered public lands, except those designated as Wilderness or Wilderness Study Areas. Only pinyon pine and juniper trees may be harvested. The cutting of all other trees is strictly prohibited.
For more information, or to obtain an application and map of tree-cutting sites, call the BLM Caliente Field Station at (775) 726-8100.
October 4, 2007
FIRE RESTRICTION LIFTED IN NEVADA'S STATE PARKS
CARSON CITY, Nev.– Nevada Division of State Parks announced today that fire restrictions will expire on Friday, October 05, 2007 in all of Nevada’s state parks. Increased fuel moisture levels and much cooler temperatures across the state have allowed the Nevada Division of State Parks to follow the lead of other public agencies in lifting fire restrictions that were in place for most of the summer.
Park visitors still need to be cautious and extremely careful with fire. While conditions have improved, park vegetation is still flammable. Park officials urge everyone to be fire safe with all outdoor activities, which includes making certain any open fires are not left unattended and are completely extinguished when they leave. Whenever possible, the use of propane stoves and charcoal grill fires is still preferred over open campfires.
October 1, 2007
"NAME THE ROCK" WINNER ANN0UNCED
CALIENTE, Nev. – Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce announced the winners from their first "Name That Rock" contest. The contest started with publication of the Nevada Magazine May/June issue, and ran until Labor Day. The objective of the contest was to get people to come visit Lincoln County (Alamo through Pioche, Nevada), and find interesting rock formations, photograph them and give them a catchy name. Some people did not understand the contest rules and they merely named the rock that was shown in the magazine article. But some people went out and found some very interesting rocks, and the first place winner, Gordon Graves, found one he named "Dueling Grabazoids." Gordon Graves is a Caliente resident who enjoys photographing Lincoln County's attractions; he actually was a first place winner in a Cathedral Gorge State Park Photo Contest 2 years ago, and the park used his photos for new postcards, and a "hat pin."
The second place winner, Keith Stever, was raised in Pioche, and took his photo a number of years ago and entitled "Hotel Rock." This truly is a Hard Rock Hotel, of the Lincoln County kind! Third place winner Bob Brown is a Las Vegas resident who enjoys coming up to Lincoln County with his wife, to ride their ATV's. He named this rock "The Hitchhiker," one that he found along the Silver State OHV Trail. Some of the other rocks that didn't make the cut included "Mother Hubbard," also by the Browns, "Cleopatra's Head," by Sallie Clinard; "Lounge Lizard," "Hound Dog," "Frankenstein," and "Twin Caterpillars" by Karen Ernst; "Eye on the Valley" also by Gordon Graves; and "Teapot Rock" by Marvin Richardson.
There are still a lot of rocks in Lincoln County that need names, and we invite you to come find your own rock. This was a popular contest, and will be repeated again next year; the images will be added to the image library for the Lincoln County website www.lincolncountynevada.com
June 28, 2007
CAMPFIRES NOT ALLOWED AT LAKE TAHOE-NEVADA, BEAVER DAM, FORT CHURCHILL AND CATHEDRAL GEORGE STATE PARKS
CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Division of State Parks and Nevada Division of Forestry announced today that added fire restrictions are being implemented at Nevada state parks because of the high potential for wildfires. In addition to fire restrictions that are in place for all of Nevada’s 24 state parks, visitors to the following parks are not allowed to have any open fires even in designated picnic and campground areas:
· Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, which includes Sand Harbor, the Marlette/Hobart backcountry and Spooner Lake
· The Carson River Ranches area of Fort Churchill State Park in Silver Springs
· Beaver Dam State Park near Caliente
· Cathedral Gorge State Park near Panaca
“The potential for wildfires in Nevada has increased due to high temperatures, high winds and extremely dry vegetation,” said Dave Morrow, administrator for the Nevada Division of State Parks.
Fire restrictions prohibit:
· Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire, except a fire in a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel
· Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle
· Welding or operating an acetylene torch with open flames, except by permit
· Using, or causing to be used, any explosive, except by permit
· Using fireworks or firing a tracer (fireworks of any kind are not allowed on public lands)
“Following fire restrictions and developing defensible space on private property will help reduce the risk of a catastrophic wildfire season,” said Pete Anderson, Nevada state forester and fire warden. “These restrictions should be taken seriously. Violations can result in a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in jail as well as the costs associated with damage, suppression costs and injuries.”
Fire restrictions are in effect until further notice. “State parks and other public lands should be enjoyed, but they must be enjoyed responsibly to reduce the number of human-caused fires,” Morrow said. More than 225 fires have already burned more than 12,000 acres in Nevada this year.
MAY 23, 2007
PHASE I DEVELOPMENT STARTS AT LINCOLN ESTATES
Lot Sales Underway at Residential Development
RACHEL, Nev.--Lincoln Estates, a 1,000-acre development in the heart of Nevada's Pioneer Territory, today announced the residential real estate project began phase I of development. The initial phase includes sales of 1.2-acre lots along Holiday Lane, which runs east to west through the center of the development site, located six miles west of Rachel.
Phase I lots are priced at $16,500 each, with financing available, and are construction ready. Lots have access to water, electric power, telephone services and high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet service, with septic tank sewer.
"There really aren't too many places left on the west coast where you can get land at a this price," said Jim Toreson, founder and developer of Lincoln Estates. "When the cost of build-able land is more than $100,000, there is little room for affordability or appreciation. Lincoln Estates offers land at Nevada's most beautiful natural sites and historic locations at a very affordable price."
According to Toreson, Lincoln Estates also plans to offer construction services. Future phases of development will include energy efficient housing with green features, including underground greenhouses, and commercial development on the northwestern edge of the property. In addition, the master plan for Lincoln Estates includes a quasi-municipal water and sewer company.
"We intend on selling only a limited number of lots in the first phase," said Toreson. "The remainder of the lots will be used to build single family homes. These homes will be ideal for active retirees, Nevada Test Site employees, telecommuters, home business owners, and anyone that wants to escape the heat and congestions of Las Vegas."
Just 150 miles north of Las Vegas, Lincoln Estates offers a pleasant ?rural living? lifestyle preserved by nearby wilderness areas, wildlife sanctuaries, historical sites and recreational areas. The 1,000-acre residential development offers home sites ranging from one half to 2.5 acres, which afford residents the opportunity to enjoy animals, gardens, and even underground, energy efficient greenhouses. For more information, the company can be contacted at (775) 729-2600 or online at www.lincolnestates.com.
MAY 14, 2007
HISTORIC SCHOOLHOUSE OPEN FOR VISITORS
CALIENTE, Nev.--The historic Elgin Schoolhouse State Park will be open for visitors between 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting Friday, May 18, 2007. These hours will remain in effect through October 28, 2007.
Visitors can call 775-726-3564 for further information or for possible tours outside normal visitor hours.
The schoolhouse is located about 20 miles south of Caliente on State Route 317 in Lincoln County. State Route 317 was heavily damaged in spring 2005 floods so care and extra time should be allowed for the trip.
The Elgin Schoolhouse is a historic school in rural Nevada’s Lincoln County. The schoolhouse was used from 1922 through 1967, when its last student reached eighth grade. In 1998, the building was restored to its original appearance and volunteers opened the building for tours by request. It became a State Historic Site in July 2005. The Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site features half of the house’s original items. The rest are authentic to the time period. Tours are available Thursday through Saturday, April 1 through October 15. Tours can be scheduled by calling (775) 726-3564.
The Nevada Division of State Parks plans, develops and maintains a system of parks and recreation areas for the use and enjoyment of more than 2.3 million visitors a year. The division was established in 1963 by the Nevada Legislature to form a new state park agency within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The division manages and maintains 26 parks in Nevada.
JANUARY 10, 2007
BEAVER DAM STATE PARK MASTER PLAN
CALIENTE, Nev - Mother Nature instigated significant changes to Beaver Dam State Park with the major flood that occurred two years ago in southeastern Nevada. For starters, the park&Mac226;s Schroeder Reservoir Dam was breached and damaged beyond repair. As a result of the loss of the reservoir and its fishery, and for other reasons, visitor use patterns are rapidly changing in the park. In addition, the Lincoln County Lands Bill that was passed by Congress last year and signed by President Bush added an additional 2,952 acres to the park&Mac226;s previous 2,393 acres. For all these reasons, the Nevada Division of State Parks and Nevada Department of Wildlife are holding a series of public workshops to solicit from the public ideas and recommendations for facility repair/replacement, along with future development and management of the park. The park is located in Lincoln County approximately 30 miles east of Caliente on the Utah border.
The first two workshops have been scheduled for Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 30 and in Caliente on Wednesday January 31. The Las Vegas workshop will be conducted at State Parks&Mac226; regional headquarters conference room at 4747 W. Vegas Drive. The Caliente Workshop will take place at the restored Caliente Train Depot. Both workshops will start at 7 PM.
The focus of these first two workshops will be an assessment of the park&Mac226;s natural and cultural resources, the existing facilities, as well as, recreation opportunities. Both verbal and written ideas, suggestions and recommendations by workshop participants will be encouraged. Based on the public&Mac226;s input, alternatives will be developed for future use and management of the park, which will be presented at follow up workshops to be scheduled at a later date. Anyone with an interest in the future of Beaver Dam State Park is invited to participate."
JANUARY 10, 2007
NEWS RELEASE FROM GREATER LINCOLN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CALIENTE, Nev - Some people want to come to Lincoln County to visit. Others are looking to move here to live. The Greater Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce is doing something to help both these kinds of people find what they are looking for in Lincoln County.
The Chamber is announcing the second annual publication of its Relocation Guide. The 2007 Relocation Guide will be published at the end of March. The Chamber receives many requests each month from people that want to relocate here. They want a booklet or packet that includes essential information about government services, taxes, real estate information, infrastructure, climate, medical facilities, education, how to hook up utilities, what’s needed to start a business, and recreational opportunities.
Global Media, a Reno-based publisher, puts together these beautiful and comprehensive color booklets at no cost to the Chamber or recipients. The guide is financed by selling advertising space within the guide to any area business that wants their information listed in the directory.
Global Media is the largest publisher of Chamber of Commerce Relocation & Visitor Guides in the state of Nevada. They currently publish these guides for over a dozen Chambers, including White Pine County, Boulder City, Moapa Valley, Wells, and many others.
Salespersons from Global Media are now in Lincoln County collecting information for this year’s edition and selling ad space. If you want new residents to know about your business or service and what you have to offer, this is a perfect opportunity to get your information in front of those coming to live here. This is the only publication of its kind serving Lincoln County.
To see a sample of the 2006 directory and/or to advertise in the 2007 issue, call:
Tom Morgan
(775) 224-2777 or 1-866-213-3365
(Provided from Barbara Rohde, Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, 775-728-4460 work, 775-728-4579 home)
DECEMBER 13, 2005
INVESTMENT IN STATE'S LARGEST INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED
LAS VEGAS, Nev - Northern Nevada award recepient, the Lincoln County Trails Coalition, was recognized for hosting their second annual National Trails Day in Lincoln County.
The Nevada Commission on Tourism recognized businesses that invested in Nevada's No. 1 industry by enhancing local visitor attractions and amenities. The awards were presented at the Governor's Conference on Tourism during a reception at the Wynn Las Vegas resort-casino.
"We are so proud of each recipient of a Tourism Development Award and are happy to honor their creativity in tourism development," Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt said. "They each represent such an essential part of our state economy and show pride in the beauty and culture Nevada has to offer. Their vision and dedication to boosting the attractions, amenities and entertainment in Nevada is the entrepreneurial spirit that we want to encourage with these awards."
Winners will receive a plaque and a certificate signed by Gov. Kenny Guinn, Hunt and NCOT Director Bruce Bommarito. "With more than 50 million visitors traveling to Nevada in 2004 alone, our economy depends on businesses such as these that contribute to state and local tourism," Bommarito said. "They not only boost tourism, but they also add jobs and new resources for revenue, further bolstering our state's economy."
DECEMBER 2, 2004
BUSH SIGNS LARGEST DESIGNATION OF NEVADA WILDERNESS EVER
RENO, Nev. (AP) President Bush signed into law a measure conservationists say is the single largest designation of federally protected wilderness in Nevada history - a total of about 1,200 square miles north and east of Las Vegas.
The Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004 is billed as a compromise between environmentalists who want permanent protection of intact wild lands and developers who want more water for Clark County.
The new law creates 14 new wilderness areas protecting wildlife habitat, rugged mountain peaks, limestone cliffs, fragile caves and archaeological resources across a total of 768,000 acres, an area about half the size of the state of Delaware.
It directs the Bureau of Land Management to auction up to 90,000 acres of federal land in the rural county north of Las Vegas. It also establishes a utility corridor that ultimately could allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority to build a pipeline to tap into groundwater in eastern Nevada and draw as much as 200,000 acre-feet of water per year - enough for more than half a million households.
Nevada's entire congressional delegation supported the measure, which Bush signed Tuesday night. The wilderness areas include habitat for the desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, golden eagles, goshawks elk and deer.
"A lot of people with varying interests and priorities came together to forge a compromise that will benefit the people of Lincoln County for generations," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "We've created a boost for Lincoln County's economy while protecting environmentally sensitive areas and allowing for the development of new water resources," he said.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said it's a good example "of what we can accomplish when we work together in a bipartisan manner. "It is a good compromise that ensures that our public lands will be used for the public good," he said.
Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., agreed. "This bill was the epitome of compromise and responsible public lands policy," he said. The new law will distribute the funds from the Lincoln County land sales - 85 percent to the BLM, 10 percent to Lincoln County and 5 percent to the state education fund. The county will now be eligible to receive special account dollars through the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act for parks, trails, conservation projects and capital improvements on federal land.
"We applaud the President for signing a bill representing the largest single wilderness designation in Nevada history," said Mike Matz, executive director of the Campaign for America's Wilderness.
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