NDOR Division Overview - Transition Memo.docx

STATE OF NEVADA

Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Jim Lawrence, Acting Director Colin Robertson, Administrator

901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 1003 • Carson City, Nevada 89701 • p: 775.684.2700 • f: 775.684.2715 • ndor.nv.gov

NEVADA DIVISION OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

MISSION: To support and promote responsible outdoor recreation and its contributions to Nevada's economy and quality of life.

DIVISION OVERVIEW:

The Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation (NDOR) promotes Nevada's outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities and the conservation of the state's natural resources. NDOR’s four full-time employees work to grow Nevada's economy through outdoor recreation, and to educate the public about responsible recreation and healthy and active lifestyles enriched by the outdoors.

NDOR provides staff and support for the following commissions:

· Advisory Board on Outdoor Recreation: 14 members (5 voting members appointed by the Governor, 7 voting state agency representatives, and 2 nonvoting federal agency representatives) advise NDOR on matters concerning outdoor recreation in Nevada.

· Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program Advisory Board: appointed by the Administrator to assist and advise in the development and administration of the Grant Program.

· Commission on Off-Highway Vehicles: 13 members (9 appointed by the Governor and 4 nonvoting ex officio agency representatives) provide direction to the Off-Highway Vehicles Program and award OHV grant projects across Nevada.

CORE FUNCTIONS:

NDOR works with numerous state and local agency partners to support the needs and interests of the outdoor businesses that contribute to Nevada’s $5 billion outdoor recreation economy. The agency partners with the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition (NVOBC) to foster and grow Nevada’s outdoor recreation industry sector and support the outdoor businesses that employ more than 50,000 Nevadans statewide. NDOR has worked closely with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to ensure the outdoor recreation sector is a key part of the state’s overall economic development strategy, along with the state’s regional development authorities to leverage outdoor recreation as a key economic and community development strategy.

NDOR convenes outdoor recreation user and advocacy groups and agency partners to improve outdoor recreation experiences in Nevada, and promotes the numerous community, economic, and health benefits associated with outdoor recreation. The Division engages with communities and partners across the state to understand user interests and needs, and works to connect people and resources to expand opportunities for sustainable outdoor recreation. In 2022, this work included community workshops and listening sessions in Winnemucca, Elko, and Ely, as well as hosting both the national Outdoor Media Summit and the Nevada Transportation, Trails, and Tourism Summit. 2022 also saw the execution of the first-of-its-kind Nevada Agreement for Outdoor Recreation Shared Stewardship, encouraging inter-agency cooperation to improve outdoor recreation experiences on public lands in Nevada.

Working with programmatic partners in NDCNR such as the Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program, the Nevada Division of State Parks, and Conserve Nevada, NDOR seeks to identify high-impact opportunities to enhance outdoor recreation experiences across Nevada for both residents and visitors.

Program Areas

· Nevada Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program –This program provides NDOR authority to create grants supporting quality opportunities for under-served Nevada students to experience the outdoors and the many benefits the outdoors can have on education and health. The grant portion of the program remains unfunded.

· Nevada Starry Night Sky Destination Program – Established in 2019, this program supports dark sky conservation, education, and tourism opportunities statewide.

· Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program – Administratively housed within NDOR, the Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program (NOHVP) promotes safe and responsible off-road recreation and funds OHV projects across Nevada for trail construction, improvements, signing, mapping, safety training, education, restoration, compliance, enforcement, etc.

KEY CHALLENGES & NEXT STEPS:

Unfunded Grant Program – The Nevada Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program was established through AB 331 in 2019 but has never been funded.

Insufficient Resources for Recreation on Federal Public Lands – The Bureau of Land Management manages 48 million acres of public lands in Nevada yet lacks the federal fiscal resources to revise and modernize the agency’s resource management plans guiding their substantially increased use. This situation has significant and consequential economic implications for outdoor recreation, development, mining, energy production, and grazing in Nevada.

Streamline Off-Highway Vehicle Registration Process – The current procedure to register off-highway vehicles (OHV) in Nevada is cumbersome and deters many users from registering their vehicles. Removing the OHV registration process from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) would enable NOHVP to develop a streamlined OHV decal program available online and via smartphone, which would increase revenue and make it easier for OHV users to comply with the law.

2023 Division Priorities – NDOR has identified three priority areas for the upcoming year:

· Developing the next phase of the Nevada Agreement for Recreation Shared Stewardship.

· Enhancing the recently launched Nevada Trail Finder website and Statewide Trails Database.

· Focusing on deploying new federal funding in support of outdoor recreation in Nevada, through efforts such as conducting a statewide outdoor recreation economic impact study, an interagency recreation area management planning process for the Mt. Rose Meadows area, and making investments in high-impact, high-visibility recreation projects in several communities across the state.

image1.png