Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 16–Senators Rhoads, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Cegavske, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Nolan, O’Connell, Raggio, Rawson, Schneider, Shaffer, Tiffany, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

 

Joint Sponsors: Assemblymen Sherer, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Beers, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Chowning, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Hettrick, Horne, Knecht, Koivisto, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Perkins, Pierce, Weber and Williams

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Commending the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition for its endeavors toward the restoration of the ecosystems of the Great Basin.

 

    Whereas, Within the space of about 1 week in August 1999,

 lightning storms ignited hundreds of fires that devastated almost 1.7

 million acres of rangeland and forest in the Great Basin; and

    Whereas, Even before the fires were controlled, a team of

 specialists met to discuss the consequences of the fires on the Great

 Basin, and the conclusion was reached that the native plant

 communities must be restored in order to prevent an invasion of

 nonnative plants that are extremely flammable and would thus

 ensure a repetition of the destruction from fire; and

    Whereas, The meeting of these specialists launched the Great

 Basin Restoration Initiative and the Eastern Nevada Landscape

 Restoration Project, which encompasses approximately 10 million

 acres and incorporates the following objectives:

    1.  To maintain functioning native plant communities;

    2.  To improve and restore degraded plant communities;

    3.  To maintain or improve soil productivity;

    4.  To maintain and restore water quality and plant communities

 in riparian areas; and

    5.  To protect and improve sensitive wildlife habitats; and

    Whereas, In March 2001, approximately 100 persons,

 representing universities, state and federal agencies, and a broad

 cross section of other organizations, assembled in Reno, Nevada,

 and out of that meeting, the idea of the Eastern Nevada Landscape

 Coalition was born; and

    Whereas, The Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition is a

 private, nonprofit organization that consists of private

 organizations, governmental entities and community groups all

 working toward the

common goal of implementing the Eastern Nevada Landscape

Restoration Project; and

    Whereas, The overall mission of the Eastern Nevada

 Landscape Coalition is to restore the dynamic and diverse

 landscapes of the Great Basin for present and future generations

 through such collaborative efforts; and

    Whereas, The accomplishments of the Eastern Nevada

 Landscape Coalition benefit wildlife, various species of native

 plants and watersheds; now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

 Assembly Concurring, That the members of the 72nd Session

 of the Nevada Legislature endorse the mission and activities of the

 Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition in its endeavors to restore the

 health and productivity of the land in Eastern Nevada; and be it

 further

    Resolved, That the Legislature commends the efforts of the

 Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition to increase knowledge and to

 foster cooperation and educational efforts directed at the goal of the

 restoration of the unique ecosystems of the Great Basin; and be it

 further

    Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

 transmit a copy of this resolution to Ms. Betsy Macfarlan,

 Executive Director of the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition, and

 to Mr. Gary Medlyn of the Ely Field Office of the Bureau of Land

 Management.

 

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