FRIENDS OF NEVADA WILDERNESS

Programs: Volunteer wilderness stewardship program: in partnership with the agencies, our volunteer stewards clean up, monitor and heal wildlands and improve wildlife habitat and recreational trail access. In 2014, 864 volunteers completed 99 restoration projects giving a total of 7,640 volunteer hours of service helping restore nevada's wildlands. Their total in-kind donation supporting these wildlands was over $200,000. Volunteers and staff restored and monitored springs, planted over tens of thousands of native plants in fire-damaged areas, pulled tens of thousands of invasive weed plants, obliterated miles of illegal or unnecessary vehicle routes, installed signs, and maintained 70 miles of wilderness trails to improve recreational access.

wilderness legislation and planning program: in 2014 we got new wilderness designated for pine forest range and wovoka. We worked on legislation to designate burbanks canyons as wilderness as part of the douglas county bill. We made great strides on solving potential wilderness boundaries in sage-grouse habitat areas in northwestern nevada. Additionally, we continued our inventory looking at lands with wilderness characteristics for the blm's planning process. We have read, analyzed and provided comments on many public land proposals that could affect nevada wildlands.

wilderness education and outreach program: in 2014 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the wilderness act and friends 30th anniversary with 103 outreach events. We signed up volunteers and discussed nevada's wilderness and why it is important for wildlife, for clean air and water, and for future generations. We designed and printed two 8-page newsletters, produced the 2015 wild nevada calendar, sent monthly e-newsletters and numerous alerts and event invitations to inform members about what is happening with wilderness in nevada. Additional stories, videos, photos can be viewed on our website, blogs, facebook, youtube and other outlets.