The Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management entered into an agreement with Ruby Pipeline LLC and received $8.8 Million for habitat protection and enhancement and other conservation efforts for the benefit of sage grouse and pygmy rabbits. The first set of projects, which include pre and post construction pygmy rabbit monitoring, noxious weed treatments, sagebrush habitat restoration, and sage grouse habitat use monitoring, account for the first $500,000 in projects. Additional projects are currently being reviewed. Proposals that meet the specific criteria of location and subject are welcome from the responsible public, environmental contractors, the University, and governmental agencies. Applications are available from either NDOW or the BLM. All funds must be obligated within five years. All projects must demonstrate a benefit to either sage grouse or pygmy rabbits and be located in Elko County, Humboldt County or the Surprise Field office boundary of Washoe County. At this time all projects must contain on-the-ground habitat enhancements such as reclamation (seeding or planting), weed treatment or juniper invasion control as examples.
A link to the forms required for consideration of a project can be found here.
The forms can be submitted to the Habitat Division in our Reno office at 1100 Valley Road, our Eastern Regional Office in Elko at 60 Youth Center Road, or our Winnemucca Office at 815 East Forth Street. The forms can also be e-mailed to ndowinfo@ndow.org along with an adequate return contact should we have questions. Eligibility: The following parties are considered eligible to receive project funding to manage projects although anyone can propose a project for consideration: Federal and Nevada State agencies, Universities, nationally recognized wildlife conservation organizations and non-profit (501C3) wildlife conservation organizations.