BLM California Virtual Visitor: Nevada
Introduction and Highlights from BLM in other States
Welcome to Virtual Visitor, a recurring feature in News.Bytes, created to celebrate BLM's creation as a national agency. In California, there are 15.2 million acres of BLM public lands for you to use, share, and appreciate. Nationwide, BLM is responsible for 256 million acres, mostly in the 12 western States, including Alaska, and for 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate. Over the next few months, we will feature another BLM state (or in some cases, a group of states), providing you with a sampling of a particular office's specialties and areas of concentration, and links to more information.
The Bureau of Land Management in Nevada administers nearly 48 million acres of public land in Nevada. BLM public lands make up about 67 percent of Nevada's land base. These public lands are held in trust for the enjoyment of, and use by, the American people.
BLM California thanks Nevada State Director Ron Wenker, Public Affairs Chief Doran Sanchez, for their support with this feature, and public affairs staffer JoLynn Worley for checking our information.
Virtual tour of BLM Nevada:
Cultural Resources
Cultural resources give us information about historic and prehistoric human cultures - their geographic distribution, their time range, where the people came from, what happened to them, and what they made and did. This information is important because our present attitudes, values, ideas and material culture have been shaped largely by our past. By studying prehistory and history we can appreciate the forces that have operated to bring us where we are.
Learn more about BLM's cultural resource program in Nevada.
Cadastral Survey
The official government surveys of public lands, are conducted by the Cadastral Survey office in each BLM state office. BLM Cadastral Survey is the custodian of the rectangular grid infrastructure known as the Public Land Survey System. It is defined by Township, Range and Section. In Nevada this program was initiated in 1861. About 40% of Nevada was surveyed prior to 1910 and utilizes stone and wooden post monuments at the survey corners. Another 30% was surveyed after 1910 with iron posts/brass cap monuments. The remaining 30% is unsurveyed.
Immediate goals of the program are to accomplish surveys necessary to provide descriptions for land disposals including sales, exchanges, and mineral patents, and to define the boundaries of public lands in areas of intermingled public and private ownership patterns, so the public lands can be properly managed. Knowing where the boundaries are on the ground is essential to effective land management.
Learn more about BLM's cadastral survey program in Nevada.
Wildland Fire
The Western Great Basin Coordination Center (WGBCC) in Reno, Nevada, is one of 11 Geographic Area Coordination Centers located throughout the United States. WGBCC is the primary logistical support center within Nevada, mobilizing resources such as aircraft, personnel, equipment, and crews to fight wildland fires and support disaster relief efforts.
WGBCC's other main role is collecting and disseminating Intelligence information. The center operates on an interagency basis - cooperators include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Nevada State Division of Forestry (NDF), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
Learn more about BLM's wildland fire program in Nevada.
Wild Horse & Burro
Half of the Nation's wild horses and burros live on Nevada rangelands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The current population is about 13,665 wild horses and 998 burros. These Living Legends move with the seasons within Herd Management Areas. This website has information primarily about these sturdy creatures on the rangelands.
Learn more about BLM's wild horse & burro program in Nevada.
Recreation
Your public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada range from cliff dominate-river channels, sweeping panoramas from high-elevation pinyon-juniper mountains to stark and expansive white playas, geologic wonders, and wide-open spaces.
This diverse and beautiful land holds dozens of fishing areas, hundreds of trails, picnic sites and developed and primitive camping opportunities for you to explore and enjoy.
Battle Mountain field office; Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area: A great place to take a walk, let the kids run, have a picnic, spend a few days camping, and look at ancient petroglyphs. Hickison offers long vistas, shade, and an opportunity to think about early Native Americans hunting, drawing on rock, and living in this area. An easy walking self-guided interpretive trail, one-half mile long, winds around prehistoric petroglyphs that were created 500 to 1,000 years ago. Historic sites in the area include the trails of John C. Fremont and John Simpson, the Pony Express route, and the Overland Stage route. Nearby hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities are limitless, with pinyon Jays, migratory song birds, rabbits, badgers, mule deer, deer mice, ground squirrels, and an occasional rattlesnake in the area. Small to mid-sized recreational vehicles can be accommodated, however there are no electrical hook-ups, potable water, or dump stations available at the site. Food, water, gasoline and other supplies can be purchased in Austin or Eureka, Nevada. The closest telephone service is in Austin, Nevada. Elevation is 6,500 feet, camping is free, and 16 overnight primitive campsites are available year-round. The recreation area is located along U.S. Highway 50, 24 miles east of Austin Nevada. Two vault toilets are available. Bring your own firewood as the collection of wood and other forest products on developed recreation sites is prohibited. Rock climbing is not allowed on or around the petroglyphs. Writing on the rocks defaces our national heritage and is illegal. No firearms or fireworks may be discharged in the area.
Carson City field office; Sand Mountain Recreation Area: Managed by the U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the sand dunes of the 4,795 acre recreation fee area provide challenge and excitement for off-highway vehicle riders, hikers & sandboarders. Many people visiting the area also take time to explore the historic 1860 Pony Express station and learn about the plants and animals of the Great Basin at the Sand Springs Desert Study Area. There is a designated dry-camping area near the base of Sand Mountain. Two new vault toilets are provided, however, visitors should bring plenty of water for drinking and washing since none is available at the site. Campfires are permitted, but there is no wood available. Spring and fall offer the best weather at Sand Mountain. Mid-winter months can be cold and wet and summer days can be hot, dry and windy.
Learn more about BLM's recreation program in Nevada.
Noxious Weeds
BLM in Nevada is truly engaged in a "War Against Weeds." Noxious weeds are increasing on BLM-administered land at approximately 2,300 acres per day and on all western public lands at approximately 4,600 acres per day. This is occurring in both disturbed and relatively undisturbed areas.2 Even though these weeds are degrading Nevada’s wildland ecosystems at a rapid and ever-increasing rate, a vast proportion of our public lands are still weed free. Therefore, it is imperative that we apply effective and economical strategies that are available to immediately protect these lands from infestation.
Learn more about BLM's noxious weed program in Nevada.
National Conservation Areas
Black Rock Desert - High Rock Canyon: America's new National Conservation Area (NCA), Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails is located in Nevada. The new NCA is more than just a desert and a canyon.
The Black Rock Desert Playa, which stretches for more than 160,000 acres once formed the bed of ancient Lake Lahontan. The huge lake covered this area with 500 feet of water as recently as 60,000 years ago.
Red Rock Canyon: Red Rock Canyon NCA is located 10 miles west of Las Vegas, Nevada. This 197,000 acre area provides a 13-mile scenic drive, more than 30 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, and a visitor center with exhibit rooms and a bookstore.
The unique geologic features, plants and animals of Red Rock Canyon represent some of the best examples of the Mojave Desert.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is enjoyed by the local population as well as by visitors from the United States and many foreign countries. More than one million visitors each year enjoy the spectacular desert landscape, climbing and hiking opportunities, and interpretive programs sponsored by the BLM.
Sloan Canyon: Sloan Canyon is located approximately 15 miles south of Las Vegas. The NCA contains the northern portion of the McCullough Range, which is volcanic in origin. The peaks are rounded and have a steep eastern escarpment and a gradual western slope. Elevations span from 2,000 feet at the eastern base of the range to 5,092 feet at Black Mountain. The ridgeline offers excellent views of the Las Vegas valley, numerous ranges, and the Eldorado and Jean dry lakes. The area primarily supports a creosote bush community with barrel cactus, Joshua trees, cholla and prickly pear.
Learn more about BLM's National Conservation Areas in Nevada.
Wilderness
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been managing a wilderness program since 1976, when the President signed a law which directed the agency to conduct a study of its remaining roadless areas. Many citizens have been involved in this study, and a great deal of interest has been expressed concerning the future management of these undeveloped lands.
Learn more about BLM's Wilderness program in Nevada.
Great Basin Restoration Project
The Great Basin Restoration Initiative (GBRI) includes most of Nevada, the western half of Utah, the lower third of Idaho, the southeast corner of Oregon and a narrow strip of eastern California. The vegetation situation in the Great Basin didn't happen overnight. it has been building for a century.
The difference between rehabilitation versus restoration is that rehabilitation is a short-term fix aimed at stabilizing the soil after a fire. Restoration is a long-term, landscape-based approach to changing the ecological health of the rangelands.
Learn more about BLM's Great Basin Restoration in Nevada.
We hope you have enjoyed your "visit" to BLM in Nevada. Watch for more BLM destinations in the coming months.
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