Program Overview

Since 2005 the Research Associate program has aimed to facilitate professional experiences for individuals who wish to enrich and apply field-based conservation and land management principles in an array of settings, in particular the Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert and Lake Tahoe Basin. The RA program bridges the gap between Nevada Conservation Corps field crews and agency partner staff, and it is not uncommon for an RA to matriculate from an NCC crew, to an RA position, to an agency staff position. The Great Basin Institute has cooperative agreements in place with the major federal natural resource management agencies including the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, as well as established partnerships with state and local level natural resource agencies.

A central focus of GBI is education and professional development; as such we are able to provide substantial educational scholarships through our AmeriCorps grant, as well as training and educational opportunities. The Program provides excellent opportunities for recent college graduates, graduate students, or experienced professionals looking to begin or enhance a career in environmental management, conservation, stewardship, and other related fields.

Our Program encourages application and development of project management, coordination, reporting and administration skills. Throughout the years, RAs have supported agency partners efforts related to education and outreach, wildlife monitoring, rare plant and forest health surveys, aquatic and terrestrial invasive species inventories and treatment, recreation use surveys, environmental documentation (e.g., NEPA), resource mapping and monitoring, arid lands and riparian restoration, wilderness monitoring and inventories, archeological clearances, trail assessments and travel management inventories, and wildland fire monitoring. A summary of past, current and on-going RA projects follows.

Ash Meadows NWR
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is located in Amargosa Valley, NV; approximately 90 miles north and west of Las Vegas. An oasis in the Mojave Desert, Ash Meadows was established on June 18, 1984 and encompasses more than 22,000 acres of spring-fed wetlands and alkaline desert uplands. The refuge provides habitat for at least 24 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world; four fish and one plant are currently listed as endangered. Ash Meadows has a greater concentration of endemic life than any other local area in the United States, and the second greatest concentration in all of North America. Ash Meadows provides a valuable and unprecedented example of desert oases that are now extremely uncommon in the southwestern United States.

Post-fire Monitoring and Rehabilitation – Through the acquisition of Burned Area Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (BAER) funds two Research Associate positions were established at Ash Meadows to implement and manage research projects whose aim is to restore burned areas within the refuge. The August 2004 Longstreet Fire burned approximately 1,600 acres of the refuge. As a result, the burned area has been overrun with invasive species. To combat this, RAs mapped the area for weeds and worked with NPS and USGS staff to set up monitoring sites and test experimental treatment methods. The goal of this cooperative effort is to determine which treatment applications work best to rid the area of weeds and apply those methods and treatments on other burned areas within the refuge. The Refuge experienced another major fire in March 2005, dubbed the Ash Fire. Using a Trimble GPS unit RAs mapped Tamarisk and Mesquite on the Ash Fire. These data and associated analyses were incorporated into a restoration report that consisted of cost analyses of native planting and weed monitoring, which will provide the funding basis for subsequent stages of the Ash Fire rehabilitation process.

Aquatic Invasive Species Eradication and Monitoring – Ash Meadows NWR hosts three federally-listed endangered endemic fish species as well as several endemic aquatic invertebrate species, which are threatened by the presence of at least ten know species of exotic aquatic species. Eradication of black bullheads (Ameiurus melas), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), as well as trapping of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarki) and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) is occurring in an effort to help endangered and endemic aquatic species reclaim their native habitat. Prevention and detection of quagga mussel introduction on Ash Meadows is another on-going objective at the refuge.
Bird Monitoring – Beginning in FY07 bird monitoring efforts at Ash Meadows were greatly increased, including surveys for the secretive yellow-billed cuckoo that is a candidate for listing under the federal endangered species act. The objectives of the Ash Meadows bird monitoring are to:

- Identify the presence and abundance of threatened and endangered species;
- Determine the composition, distribution, and breeding status of avian species;
- Track long-term population trends;
- Inform management actions and the refuge Hunt Plan; and
- Quantify the effects of habitat changes to aquatic habitat.

The Aquatic Bird Count program is a state-wide waterbird monitoring effort coordinated by the Great Basin Bird Observatory (GBBO). These data are used to determine long-term population trends of aquatic birds and to inform future management actions. Additionally, a habitat monitoring component of earlier marsh bird surveys was conducted. These data were submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey and the Arizona Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit which coordinate this continent-wide monitoring effort to track secretive marsh bird populations and relate trends to habitat conditions.

Water Monitoring and Management – The “fossil” water which flows from a vast underground aquifer into the springs of Ash Meadows is the most critical component of the aquatic systems which harbor many of the refuge’s endemic species. The persistence of spring flows is critical to the survival of these species and has long been at the center of regulatory and legal actions in the Ash Meadows basin. The output of the seven major springs and levels of various wells across the refuge are monitored quarterly.
Narrowleaf cattail (Typha domingensis) is a species thought to be native to the Mojave Desert but which has prospered under the altered hydrologic conditions created by reservoir impoundments and altered spring outflows found on Ash Meadows. Expansion of cattails reduces open water available for aquatic birds on reservoirs and promotes spring outflow conditions favorable for invasive aquatic species such as red swamp crayfish. Removal of cattails in small, sensitive areas was performed primarily by NCC Crews; larger, less sensitive areas were mechanically mowed.

Spring Mountains NRA
The Spring Mountains NRA (SMNRA) includes 316,000 acres of National Forest system land in Southern Nevada’s Clark and Nye counties. The SMNRA receives about 1.9 million visitors annually. In the summer visitors seek the cool green sky island above the desert with much cooler temperatures; in winter, snow is on the mountain and the only downhill skiing and snowboarding area in Clark County attracts many visitors. The mountain is an awesome place to visit year round as it displays six life zones, many wildlife species, hiking trails, springs, and extensive wilderness areas. There are over 50 species unique to the Spring Mountains. In the center of the SMNRA, nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, stands the limestone summit of Mount Charleston that American Indian Tribes consider a sacred place.

Botany, Forestry and Wildlife Surveys – GBI Research Associates have been actively working to conduct flora and fauna surveys at the SMNRA since 2004. Over the years, RA have conducted vegetation surveys to identify plants of management concern, surveys for butterfly host plants, as well as neotropical migrant bird surveys, acoustical bat inventories, and northern goshawk and owl surveys. In an average year, a crew of 2 to 7 RAs will:

- inventory and monitor more than 25,000 acres of rare, sensitive plant species to detect biologically significant changes in plant community structure and composition over time;
- monitor the wintering patterns of resident wild horse populations;
- conduct birdsong transects and habitat assessments in an effort to evaluate restoration efforts and forest management impacts on bird populations; and
- investigate the distribution of up to thirteen rare or sensitive species of bats through a bat echolocation site monitoring project.

Additional inventory and monitoring projects include photopoint disturbance monitoring and mine closure inventories.

Small Site Restoration – When the plants aren’t growing and the birds aren’t moving, the SMNRA crew focuses its attention on small-site restoration projects. Crews complete restoration projects such as streambed stabilization, native tree planting and eradication of illegal off-highway vehicle roads that place undue pressure on the native ecosystem. The crew is also instrumental in facilitating volunteer restoration events including Arbor Day and Public Lands Day. Another major component of small site restoration requires the collection, cleaning and preservation of native and rare plant species seeds. Seeds are collected for the BLM “Seeds of Success” program that are used for future restoration efforts in areas impacted by unmanaged recreation and fire in the SMNRA.

Preserve America Cultural Resource Inventory – This is one component of an inter-agency proposal in support of the Preserve America program. The intent is that the various agencies will a) identify and evaluate cultural resources, b) create and implement heritage resource education, outreach and interpretation, c) consult with and involve pertinent Tribes in the Heritage resource program and d) implement data management, mitigation, and conservation measures for cultural resources. In order to accomplish these goals a thorough understanding of the cultural resources on SMNRA lands is required. Information gathered through Section 110 surveys will help to build the foundation upon which the cultural resource program on the SMNRA grows. Heritage resources range from prehistoric rock art, to mining towns of the 19th century, to Euro-American emigrant trails and roads. A team of three RAs were selected to implement the SMNRA’s portion of the project. Surveyors work with SMNRA resource specialists to select target areas and then set-out to survey every acre of the area. When new sites are identified they are recorded using Nevada IMAC forms, and site maps containing clear, concise and detailed information for features or artifacts are created. Data are then entered into a site database which will be drawn on for years to come in planning and developing new projects on the SMNRA.

Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston Climbing Inventory – Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston are home to some of the premier rock climbing areas in the world, which also happen to be in three designated wilderness areas just outside of Las Vegas. In cooperation with the BLM and USFS, three RAs assisted with efforts to update the agency’s Wilderness Recreation Management Plans for these areas. The three-person climbing crew mapped and cataloged known and developed climbing routes using climbing guidebooks and the local climbing community as references. Each route was inventoried, capturing spatial data regarding the location of climbing crags and the means by which they are approached. These data were digitized and processed using GIS software and delivered to BLM and U.S. Forest Service management to evaluate climbing specific impacts on the desert and mountain environments. This was the first complete climbing inventory for the Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston areas.

BLM Las Vegas

Responsible for managing all BLM lands in Clark County and southern Nye County, the Las Vegas District Office’s renewable and non-renewable programs are supported and coordinated by a team of Research Associates. Collectively, RAs coordinate the Desert Clean-up program, as well as arid land restoration activities and road monitoring, rehabilitation and designation projects in Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs). RAs are also responsible for coordinating actions related to wildlife, including wild horse and burro populations and desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

Desert Clean-up – Las Vegas has substantial illegal dumping and graffiti problems, as do most towns within Clark and southern Nye counties. The relatively recent creation of a cleanup program in the BLM is one step in the right direction. By working collaboratively with agency counterparts including the Southern Nevada Health District and city and county offices, residents see that local and federal agencies are aware of and are responsive to local concerns. Research Associates coordinate NCC crew and community volunteer/resident clean-ups. Involving residents in the cleanup of their own communities fosters a sense of empowerment and responsibility that will help curb dumping at its source. On average, 20-30 clean-ups occur annually; each of which need to be monitored afterwards, signed, and entered in a project database.

Arid Lands Restoration – The growth of the Las Vegas Valley has led to increased recreational use of off-highway vehicle (OHV) traffic, which has resulted in an increase in the number of illegal roads along with degradation of the natural environment. Illegal road proliferation destroys habitat for many special status species including the Las Vegas bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) and threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Restoration activities include identification and rehabilitation of illegal roads, monitoring and coordination of invasive plant population treatment, trespasses damage assessments and analyses, as well seed collection and plant grow-outs.

Road Monitoring, Rehabilitation and Designation – The growing population and popularity of Mesquite, NV and northeast Clark County in general, have greatly increased the demands for outdoor recreation opportunities in the surrounding public lands. This has brought a great deal of attention to the Gold Butte area and, with it, an increase in illegal road usage and natural habitat disturbance. The largest source of damage to the area is the inappropriate use of OHVs and careless campers that set up camp outside of pre-existing camp areas, thus expanding their boundaries. The Roads Designation Program was developed as a result of the need for traffic control and to stop the proliferation of vehicle related disturbances in the 500,000+ acres of ACECs. ACECs were designated to help protect important wildlife resources, preserve historic/cultural resources, and/or maintain areas of scenic value and contain stricter use restrictions. The objective of this on-going effort is to decommission illegal user-created routes and sign designated routes.

Wild Horse and Burro Herd Management – Management of wild horse and burros is complicated, yet efforts to collect data and information regarding the wild horse and burro populations’ impacts to the rangeland environment continue. The data and information GBI RAs collect are critical to help find the balance between the wild horse and burro populations and all the other users of the range. Overarching objectives for this program include assessing rangeland health in the Spring Mountains and Gold Butte Heard Management Areas (HMA); developing Herd Management Area Plans (HMAPs) that guide the long-term management of wild horse and burro populations; improving water sources and monitoring the spring/water development flow in the Nevada Wild Horse Range (NWHR) and the Red Rock HMAs; as well as emergency gathers on the NWHR.

Natural Resource and Wildlife Documentation – Supporting all renewable and non-renewable programs, the RA in this position gains experience analyzing environmental impacts to natural resources, wildlife expertise in the Mojave Desert ecosystem, environmental compliance associated with Biological Opinions and Air Quality regulations, familiarity with conservation of Mojave Desert flora and endangered species, as well as natural resource management and understanding of multiple use issues in the Southwest.

Ecosystem and Resource Monitoring

BLM Battle Mountain District – The largest of the seven districts in Nevada in terms of land area, the BLM Battle Mountain District has field offices in Battle Mountain and Tonopah. Based at the Mount Lewis Field Office, a team of Ecosystem Monitoring Specialists support resource monitoring efforts in the northern half of the District. Although primarily tasked with Proper Function Condition (PFC) monitoring, RA’s also constructed riparian exclosures in target allotments, which were later used to compare plant growth and composition with areas outside the exclosures left open to grazing.

The RA’s primary task is to identify riparian-wetland problem areas and/ or management issues in accordance with Land-Use Plan Management Objectives and Resource Advisory Council Standards and Guidelines using PFC methodologies. The PFC assessment process involves qualitative assessment of riparian-wetland areas which are categorized as lotic (moving water, such as a stream) or lentic (standing water including wet meadows, marshes, springs, etc.). PFC is the accepted minimal standard of functioning condition for streams. It is not the optimum or potential condition that a system may achieve. A properly functioning riparian-wetland area will:

- dissipate energies associated with the system such as high water flow, wind and wave action, overland flow from adjacent sites, thus reducing erosion and improve water quality;
- filter sediment and aid floodplain development;
- stabilize stream banks in lotic systems and shorelines and islands in lentic systems;
- improve flood-water retention and ground water recharge; and
- provide habitat to support greater biodiversity

PFC assessment utilizes a standard checklist that develops information indicating the overall health of the riparian-wetland system. The checklist addresses the following characteristics that are applicable to each site:

- Hydrology: floodplain, sinuosity, gradient, width/depth ratio, riparian zone extent, flow pattern, passage of flow
- Vegetation: diverse age-class and composition for recruitment, root masses and adequate cover for bank or shoreline protection, sources of coarse/large woody debris
- Soils /erosion: floodplain characteristics to dissipate energy, point bars, vertical stability, excessive erosion or deposition

At each site, the riparian-wetland feature is assessed using either the lentic or lotic checklist depending on the water feature. Lentic areas are GPSed by walking the perimeter of the meadow, spring or pond while lotic features are GPSed by walking the length of the stream. When conditions on a stream change significantly (e.g. gradient, vegetation, amount of water, condition of riparian site) a new assessment may be started and given a different PFC rating.

Recreation and Wilderness Monitoring

Since 1964, designated Wilderness has been an increasingly important idea in the American consciousness. This importance can be seen clearly in Nevada with variety of designated wilderness areas spread across the state. In total, Nevada is home to nearly 1.7 million acres of designated wilderness that originated from the vast amounts of public lands within the state (88% – 90% of the land area, depending on the source). A designated wilderness carries with it an obligation by the managing agency to preserve the natural and primeval character of the landscape. The preservation of these characteristics is accomplished by gathering base line data on wilderness characteristics and visitor use, protecting the resource by mitigating problems and educating wilderness users and the general public.
BLM Battle Mountain District – Many districts do not have a designated wilderness within their districts, but instead have Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). Prior to wilderness designation, specific areas with wilderness-type qualities are set aside and managed as WSAs. As such, information must then be gathered to decide if a WSA is best used for wilderness or another public use. Similar to route inventories, ATV’s were utilized in conjunction with a Trimble GPS receiver/recorder and digital camera to collect spatial data and photopoints on 351,219 acres within seven WSA’s – Morey Peak, South Reveille, Rawhide Mountain, Fandango, Kawich, Palisade Mesa, and The Wall. Data fields include routes, route type, route suitability, route points, range improvements, mining disturbance, signs, campsites, or any other form of disturbance. The disturbance inventory also included the WSA boundary and any roads leading up to the boundary.

Recreation Technicians also assist in other recreation inventories including motorized and non-motorized trail inventories and re-routes, campsite inventories, and post-race/event monitoring. For example, in anticipation of expansion of the Hickison Recreation Site, 18 miles of hiking and horse trails were re-flagged and data on campground roads, features and equipment were collected. As well, 32 miles of proposed OHV trails were re-flagged in the Shoshone Range. Following the “Vegas to Reno” race, RAs performed a post-race assessment by traveling along the route from the starting point until the edge of the Battle Mountain District. Major incursions found off the race route, deep ruts in road, as well as trash, vehicle parts, and signage left behind were noted.

BLM Winnemucca District – Standard, pre-approved monitoring methodologies were used to conduct routine site visits and conduct wilderness monitoring throughout the Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail NCA. Specific projects included campsite and road inventories (see travel management), as well as rehabilitation activities, including sign/post installation and road decommissioning. Rehabilitation projects coincide with public outreach/volunteers events that teach the public about Tread Lightly and Leave-No-Trace principles, as well as the Wilderness Act of 1964 occurred.

- Provided planning and logistics support for Black Rock Rendezvous (Memorial Day Weekend 2008). Provided interpretive services at event and helped lead a volunteer project that built six hundred (600) feet of buck-n-pole fence to protect sensitive dune areas on the Black Rock Desert Playa;
- Planned and lead Wilderness Volunteer Event (Aug 1-3, 2008) in the North Black Rock Range (Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Wilderness Study Area). Twenty six (26) volunteers attended the event and rehabbed one (1) mile of closed routes, dismantled a failed fence project at Twin Summit Springs, removed fencing materials from North Black Rock Range wilderness area, and removed road obstructions from two (2) locations; and
- Planned and lead activities on National Public Lands Day (September 19-21, 2008). Over one hundred (100) volunteers cleaned up an illegal home site in Pahute Peak Wilderness Area; removed 30 yd3 of debris, rehabbed a half-mile of road, several mine claim posts were removed, and two (2) wilderness pipe posts were installed.

Mojave Inventory & Monitoring Network Spring Surveys

Between 2004 and 2007 Great Basin Institute provided field techs trained to properly implement Level I Spring Inventory protocols developed by Dr. Don Sada of the Desert Research Institute (DRI). Inventories were completed on National Park Service Lands within the Mojave Inventory and Monitoring Network (Mojave I&M) including Death Valley National Park (n=491), Joshua Tree National Park (n=275), Parashant National Monument (n=228), and Lake Mead NRA (n=89). The protocols require that field technicians possess an understanding of both biological and hydrological principles of arid lands. Data collected from Level I spring surveys provided land managers with a valuable data resource to make better-informed land management decisions.

The field team was provided maps on known spring locations by Dr. Sada and the Mmojave I&M Network. The crew was then responsible for determining the safest and most efficient route to each spring. Often spring sources are clustered together and can be sampled fairly easily; others are isolated and required the use of ATVs or long through hikes to reach the source. When the field team reached a source they were responsible for accurately collecting water quality and turbidity data; taking careful field notes on source substrata, surrounding plant community, indication of use by wildlife, and photopoints; as well as checking for the presence of rare, endemic spring snails. When snails were found, samples were collected for identification at the Desert Research Institute. Upon completion of the field surveys, the crew worked collectively to build and populate an MS Access database which provides detailed biological and hydrologic data, as well as pictures of every source.

Lake Mead NRA

Lake Mead National Recreation Area has been a consistent and long-term partner of GBI. Through both our NCC crews and or Research Associate programs, Lake Mead NRA continues to provide opportunities that support and stimulate work and/or training opportunities for young professionals. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) is among the largest and most highly used and visited areas operated by the National Park Service (NPS), with approximately eight million visitors using the 1.5 million acre area. The size and the level of usage create unique conservation challenges. Cattle trespass, feral burros, and illegal off-road vehicle (ORV) use on the park’s sensitive desert soils and plant communities can have lasting effects on native plant communities. Continual management and maintenance of the area is necessary to allow successional processes to occur naturally on this arid land.

Cultural Resource Surveys – Since August 2008, GBI RAs have worked collaboratively with Lake Mead NRA seasonals to conduct archaeological field investigations including survey and site documentation; laboratory work including data analysis and processing; as well as other cultural and natural resource management projects throughout Lake Mead NRA and Parashant National Monument. Project work includes pedestrian surveys, site recordation, and site condition assessments on the Shivwits Plateau in preparation for prescribed burns in 2009. Site condition assessments are being conducted at previously recorded archeological sites in the Lake Mead area to monitor disturbances currently impacting the integrity of these cultural resources and what threats might impact them in the foreseeable future. GPS logs, hand written field notes, photo logs, and digital photos of sites, features and artifacts are scanned, and GPS waypoints are downloaded for further processing; 35 mm photo rolls are set aside for development once a project is completed. Site condition assessments are entered into ASMIS (Archeological Site Management Information System), the NPS archeological site data base utilized to monitor site types as well as threats and disturbances that are currently or could potentially impact the site.

Environmental Education and Outreach – As the population of Southern Nevada and surrounding areas continue to expand, the need for public outreach and education increases. In particular, there is a growing need for education and outreach programs that target non-English speaking visitors. In an effort to provide additional outreach and education support, four RAs will work focus on implementation of interpretation and education programs for Lake Mead and/or for the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) Conservation Education Action Plan. SNAP is a consortium of the four federal public land agencies in Southern Nevada: National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and BLM. Specific projects include:

- presenting curriculum based field trip and in classroom programs for school students in the Clark County School District, especially schools with a high percentage of English Language Learners;
- presenting public programs such as hikes, short talks, campground programs, library programs, and outreach at special events and community events, and
- conducting informal roving interpretation to the public at a variety of locations on foot, in a vehicle, on boat, or on a bicycle.

Arid Lands Restoration and Natural Resource Monitoring – GBI Research Associates have been provided a great opportunity to learn hands-on what arid lands restoration and resource monitoring requires. Working in cooperation with the NPS botanist and other resource specialists, RAs have assisted with illegal OHV road decommissioning, native species planting and seed harvesting, motorized and non-motorized trail sign inventories and replacement. Between October 2006 and September 2008, GBI Associates took part in a project that evaluated the impacts of fencing on rare and endemic plant species, such as Sticky Buckwheat (Eriogonum viscidulum), recreation opportunities and other natural resources. Fences throughout Lake Mead provide restrictions on cattle, burro, and vehicular traffic movement around sensitive areas. Project goals included researching the history of grazing allotments, burro populations, and trespass cattle; developing a method for assessing the utilization impact of cattle and burro populations; determining where to set-up new fences and grazing exclosures; and execution of an experiment that aimed to measure the effect of grazing-deterrent exclosures on herbivory, in particular Sticky Buckwheat.

Native Plant Nursery – One of the more unique RA opportunities GBI supported the NPS with was day-to-day management of the Lake Mead Native Plant Nursery. In recent years, restoration of native desert communities has become increasingly important as part of conservation initiatives throughout the west. The Lake Mead Native Plant Nursery grows plants and stores seeds including barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), Goodings willow (Salix gooddingii), and cottonwood (Populus fremontii) among others. All plants produced are used to restore local ecosystems and provide to customers at five agencies. Some plants are used in landscape settings at Lake Mead RV parks and campgrounds to take the place of established non-natives. The nursery serves not only to provide plants for restoration purposes but also to promote interagency cooperation and interaction. Project objectives included seed collection for increased plant stock and seed storage, repairs and improvements that increase greenhouse and nursery compound efficiency, and growing an excess of plants for clientele and to increase stock.

Moapa NWR

Located north and east of Las Vegas, the 120 acre Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge (MVNWR) was the first refuge created to protect an endangered fish, the Moapa dace (Moapa coriacea). Over the last 28 years old buildings, concrete channels, and swimming pools have been removed, as have hundreds of non-native palm trees and non-native fish. This ever-changing landscape has resulted in various stages of restoration and re-vegetation.

Efforts to increase habitat for the Moapa dace include creation of drift stations, an area of the stream channel with water velocity and depth within a suitable range for the dace, and substrate manipulation. Logs or “woody debris” are placed strategically in the channel to break up the flow of water, thus forcing potential food sources to settle. Substrate manipulation involves removal of silt that has accumulated on the channel bottom, which impacts dace habitat because it harbors aquatic weeds and reduces channel depth. Eelgrass (Vallisneria americana) is detrimental to dace habitat and new or surviving patches are monitored and treated. As well, an environmental engineering firm will excavate and realign the Apcar channel. In anticipation of the excavation plants are salvaged and will be replaced in accordance with the revegetation plan.

General restoration and revegetation tasks include maintenance of previously transplanted plant material (e.g.: watering and irrigation maintenance), and noxious weed management. Noxious weed species of concern include common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), five horn smotherweed (Bassia hyssopifolia), and Russian thistle (Salsola tragus).

Visitor Use Surveys

Southern Nevada Inter-agency NVUM – Southern Nevada, including Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Pahrump, Mesquite, and numerous small rural communities, is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Due to population growth in the region causing rapid urbanization, increasing numbers of residents are looking to adjacent federal lands for outdoor recreation opportunities. Demands for outdoor recreation opportunities are also increasing from the growing numbers of national and international tourists coming to the Las Vegas area.

As a result the BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collaborated with GBI to implement a first of its kind in the inter-agency National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) survey. A national program designed by the U.S. Forest Service, standardized survey protocols and questionnaires were utilized to gain a better understanding of visitor and non-visitor preferences and to examine recreational needs and trends in southern Nevada. Through this formalized survey and assessment process, land managers are better able to protect natural resources, provide a high quality visitor experience, and help managers and decision makers define or recognize the managerial implications of their decisions. During the 14-month NVUM survey (June 15, 2007 through September 7, 2008) period GBI surveyors conducted more than 750 visitor surveys, contacting upwards of 5000 visitors.

Nevada Division of State Parks – One of our first Research Associate projects, GBI implemented a year-long visitor use survey project for the Nevada Division of State Parks. Over the course of 12 months, two GBI Research Associates traversed the state to survey visitors at all 23 Nevada State Parks. In addition to basic demographic data, the Division was particularly interested in learning and understanding what users liked about each facility and what improvements should be made. These data were analyzed by State Park staff to make better-informed management decisions about their parks. In the end, our RAs visited each of Nevada’s 23 parks on multiple occasions and logged nearly 25,000 miles on Nevada’s roads.

Travel Management

BLM Battle Mountain, Winnemucca and Elko Districts – The BLM manages nearly 48 million acres of public land in Nevada, comprising 68 percent of the State’s land base. In addition to managing for Wilderness protection, grazing and mineral exploration, BLM lands also provide a wide array of recreation opportunities. The BLM’s outdoor recreation program aims to “provide a broad spectrum of resource-dependent recreation opportunities to meet the needs and demands of Public Land visitors”. According to one BLM Management Framework Plan, “the population is increasing. More people are seeking to do more activities in more areas. Public lands will be used whether or not they are prepared to receive use. If preparations are made, degradation to the environment can be minimized or avoided.”
In an effort to protect public lands for safe and proper use and enjoyment, GBI Research Associates have supported the travel management planning throughout Nevada. Route inventories are a major component of that planning and are currently underway on lands managed by the Tonopah, Humboldt River and Wells Field Offices. Route Inventories consist of examining unpaved routes shown on USGS Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs) or other maps and then driving these routes on ATVs or with 4WD trucks. The extent and position of each route is recorded on a Trimble GPS receiver/recorder. RAs collect data on

- Route characteristics: condition, accessibility and width;
- Route points: intersections, endpoints and campsites;
- Other features: BLM signs, range improvements (gates or cattleguards) and mining disturbance.

Where appropriate, photos with GPS positions are collected using a digital camera. All route data were upload using Pathfinder Office and incorporated into BLM database(s). When necessary, GPS data are differentially corrected and plotted on base maps using ESRI ArcMap.

U.S. Forest Service, Ely and Elko Ranger Districts – Travel Management is a U.S. Forest Service process implemented to control and mitigate the widespread growth of user-created roads. Prior to designation, each resource specialist (including Range, Fuels, Recreation, Minerals, Fire, and Archeology) must measure the impact of increased visitation and use on their particular resource. This measurement of impact comprises the third step of Travel Management. After the road system has been standardized, prevention and mitigation will occur, including law enforcement actions and road closures.

The USFS Ely Ranger District will add over 220 miles of existing user-created roads to their official road system. The goal of this project is to conduct a complete road inventory in order to measure the impact of increased visitation on archeological resources. Known archeological sites falling within the Area of Potential Effect (APE) are recorded in full. Any isolated artifacts (less than five portable artifacts with no manmade structures) found on the road are briefly recorded. In addition, any new sites that are found within the APE are also recorded in full. During the course of this six-month project, GBI RAs added 48 unknown archeological sites to the Ely Ranger District’s records, monitored more than 15 known sites, recorded 63 isolated finds, and presented a talk at the Nevada Archeological Association on Aurum, Nevada – a previously undiscovered mining operation north of Ely, NV. Similar efforts began on USFS Elko Ranger District lands in October 2008.

BLM Ely

GBI research associates are providing invaluable assistance to staff members in the Ely field office’s Non-renewable Resources Division. Among others, the Non-renewable Resources Division is responsible for two key areas: recreation planning and wilderness monitoring. As a result of the long-term relationship between GBI and BLM Ely, and the Non-renewable Resources Division in particular, The district field office has served as an excellent starting point for individuals interested in a career in recreation, restoration and/or wilderness management. Once a GBI research associate and Recreation Planning Technician for the division, Dave Jacobsen’s excellent work earned him a permanent position within the district. Presently, this role is being filled by Myron Jeffs. As the Recreation Planning Technician, Myron is providing outfitter and guide monitoring, is responsible for minerals monitoring, as well as specific monitoring of Second Nature Wildlife Therapy groups.

Assisting the Non-renewable Resources Division with its second major responsibility, wilderness planning and monitoring, Emily Harris is conducting Wilderness Study Area monitoring, as well developing a GIS database for protection of natural and cultural resources. Additionally, Emily is responsible for maintaining boundary signs and kiosks, monitoring visitor use along WSA boundaries and at key entry points, and making public contact to provide information about WSA rules and regulations. Emily also coordinates with BLM staff to develop resource protection materials.

The working relationship between the Ely and Battle Mountain districts is most evident by the split time Kalem Lenard spends in each district working on numerous motorized and non-motorized trail projects. Kalem’s experience and expertise with trail design, environmental clearance documentation (i.e.: NEPA), and trail construction and oversight has kept him extremely busy. Of late, Kalem has been tasked with developing a mapped layout of new non-motorized trails in the Sacramento Pass area and coordinating construction of the Cave Lake trail, and NEPA clearance and pre-construction activities related to the Lost OX OHV trail system. In the Battle Mountain region, Kalem has been working on the layout, design and planning of phase II of the Hickison hiker/horse trails.

The partnership between BLM and GBI was most recently punctuated when the BLM Ely field office partnered with GBI to implement several large-scale, multi-year projects funded through Round 6 of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA). Through this cooperative effort, GBI research associates will be responsible for coordinating and implementing 4 major projects. Bill Wolf, a long-time Nevada Department of Forestry employee, was hired to oversee this multi-year effort. Bill’s main responsibilities include supervising Nevada Conservation Corps (NCC) crews, individual project budgets and implementation plans, as well as working with BLM staff to develop multiple planning and management documents. Four research associates will join Bill in the fall of 2006 to implement the Silver State OHV Trail project, and to implement various small-scale restoration projects within Lincoln County, NV, including pre- and post-restoration monitoring, environmental compliance reporting, educational program development, and NCC crew management and supervision.

Tahoe Rim Trail Association

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) was established in 1981 with the goal of completing a 165-mile loop trail around the ridge tops of Lake Tahoe. With this goal completed the main focus of TRTA has become trail improvments and outreach. Working closely with Nevada Conservation Corps crews to meet these goals, TRTA has also taken an active role in environmental education and interpretation. Through GBI’s AmeriCorps program, TRTA and GBI have partnered to help meet GBI’s and TRTA joint educational mission. To accomplish this, an RA coordinated and implemented interpretive programs, including “Leave No Trace” and others related to the Tahoe Rim Trail and Lake Tahoe basin. Additional duties included presenting environmental education programs and preparing a teacher’s guidebook for local schools; planning and publicizing special events for visitors; and researching and developing materials related to the Tahoe Rim Trail and Lake Tahoe basin.

USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

One of GBI’s oldest partnerships, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit was first established in 1973 and is responsible for managing the unique 150,000 plus acres of National Forest lands within the basin. LTBMU’s charge is to protect Lake Tahoe and its famed water quality by specially managing a diverse range of resources through conservation, restoration and protection programs that include forest health and hazard fuels management, habitat, and wilderness management to name a few.

Over the years GBI Research Associates have been instrumental in helping to meet the goals of LTBMU’s Urban Lot Management department, including timber stand improvement, vegetation management, and parcel condition monitoring (PCM). Funded in part through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) support to the Urban Lots Management program has become increasingly important as populations in the basin continue to grown and the threat of wildfire increases. Since 2000 at least four RAs have been hired by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit as either permanent or term staff.

A seasonal PCM crew is responsible for collecting data on a vast array of impacts to the urban-forest interface. In addition to lending support in the event of a wildfire, seasonal PCM crews conduct vegetation/forest health monitoring, hazard fuels assessments, watershed/soil erosion analyses, and invasive weed presence/absence inventories. These data, along with photopoints, are entered into an oracle database which is utilized by LTBMU managers to develop appropriate management strategies and actions.

GBI associates have also been key members of Timber Stand Improvement (TSI), Forests Stand Prep, and Vegetation Management crews. Working collaboratively with Forest Service seasonals, TSI crews are generally responsible for creating defensible spaces that help to reduce forest fire destruction, as well as mastication of hazard fuels. The vegetation management and forest stand prep crews’ duties are more typical of timber marking crews and include timber marking/tallying for strike teams, timber cruising, stand exam data collection, tree measurement, sale area layout work and GPSing slash piles for mastication. In the wake of recent fire seasons, these types of jobs will continue to be critical in protecting human and forest ecosystem health.

U.S. Forest Service Noxious Weed Program

Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest

Noxious weeds and invasive species more broadly continue to be one of the biggest environmental dangers facing the state, country and planet at this time. After an intensive two-week training session GBI Research Associates are equipped with the skills to identify, map and treat noxious weeds throughout the Forest.

After training in Elko, NV, RAs work on district lands to treat and map known and emergent noxious weed populations. GPS coordinates are taken at isolated plant locations or around the perimeter of an expansive population. Treatment methods include hand pulling, backpack spraying or application using an ATV. RAs inventory wilderness and non-wilderness lands for indications of noxious weeds.

Target species include: Musk thistle (Carduus natans), Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthuim), Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), Russian knapweed (Centaurea repens), Medusahead (Taeniatherm caput-medusa), Perennial pepperweed a.k.a. Tall whitetop (Lepidium latifolium), Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), Yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) and Dalmatian toadflax (L. dalmatica).

Statewide Recreational Trail Inventory

The overall goals of the Statewide Recreational Trail Inventory were to (a) develop a comprehensive listing of recreational trails within the State of Nevada and (b) create and maintain a website of this information that is easily accessed by the public. Through an educational grant from the Nevada Recreational Trails Program (RTP), NVTrailMaps.com was successfully launched on January 16, 2008 and is fully functioning. Since January 2008, the site received more than 10,000 unique visitors, and receives between 60,000 and 70,000 hits per month.

The purpose for this project was to provide a clearinghouse of information for all the recreational trails within the State of Nevada, motorized and non-motorized. This was needed in order to disperse recreational trail use, encourage proper use of trails and public lands, increase tourism, and save valuable administration time. NVTrailMaps provides land managers a website to refer users to, and to use for their own reference and management. The website also serves as a venue with which to provide information to users so they are better prepared to recreate, and more educated regarding proper trail ethics and uses. GBI has partnered with the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Nevada Division of State Parks for this project, as well as countless county and city recreation planners throughout the state.

Collecting the information required for this project was a year-long process. After visiting and/or conferencing with land managers across the state to mine existing data, site visits were conducted during the spring, summer and fall of 2007. Site visits consist of driving to the trailhead and writing narrative directions, confirming drivable road conditions, taking a GPS waypoint at the trailhead and other significant locations, taking photos of the trailhead and surrounding area, noting facilities in the vicinity and posted regulations. A physical inspection of the trail by foot or mountain bike was completed when necessary. Upon returning from the field, trails and trailheads locations were confirmed by cross-referencing existing trail records and GPS points. GIS layers were edited accordingly, photos labeled, and data were entered into the trails database.

Desert NWR

Including more than 1.5 million acres of land, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) is the largest refuge in the lower 48 states. It was created specifically for the protection, enhancement, and maintenance of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis); fortunately, the majority of the acreage is intact and undisturbed. There have been a few large wildfires and the southern boundary exhibits damage from illegal off-highway vehicle usage. The Corn Creek field station and its small trail system provide an entry point and visitor center for the rest of the refuge. As such, Corn Creek hosts a number of non-native plant and animal species and may serve as a vector for non-native seed dispersal to other parts of the refuge and surrounding land in southern Nevada.

The highlight of the work at DNWR is the backcountry maintenance of desert springs developed or bighorn sheep. Springs are checked regularly and appropriate maintenance provided. In support of the short term goal to eradicate noxious weed in the Corn Creek area, Mat sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) and Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) are primarily treated them with herbicide, whereas five horn smotherweed (Bassia hyssopifolia) is hand pulled. In support of our long term goal of noxious weed prevention, research is being conducted on herbicides selective to annual broadleaf weeds that will have limited or no impact on non-target vegetation. As a form of cultural weed control and responsible water use periodic maintenance on the sprinklers and irrigation is completed.

Pahranagat NWR

The goals of this project are to collect surface water, ground water, weather, and soil data at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge. Specific objectives include vegetation characterization at ground water monitoring wells and estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) for the refuge. Vegetation transects revealed alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), juncus (Juncus balticus), salt grass (Distichlis spicata), sedge (Carex praegracilis), and yurba mansa (Anemopsis californica) were the most common plant species. Using wetland maps from the National Wetland Inventory and USGS studies of ET for other locations in Nevada, ET estimates for the refuge are between 16,000 – 24,000 acre-ft/year. Hydrologic monitoring consists of bi-monthly visits to staff gages to record water levels and perform discharge measurements, and ground water monitoring wells. Water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and temperature) are measured at six sites using Hydrolab water quality sondes.

BLM Winnemucca

The Winnemucca District Office manages 8,276,113 acres of public lands in the northwest corner of Nevada. The District is divided in to two field offices, The Humboldt River Field Office and Black Rock Field Office, host of the annual Burning Man event – a week-long festival of art, pyrotechnic demonstrations, sustainable living, and “utopian” society that draws nearly 50,000 participants annually. GBI Research Associates support land management efforts for both field offices including coordinating volunteer, outreach and education events; Burning Man event monitoring; as well as wilderness and recreation site monitoring (see travel management).
Emergency Stabilization & Rehabilitation – Fire regimes have been altered in the Great Basin physiographic province due to the invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), which creates a carpet of fine fuels in shrublands. Sagebrush ecosystems that evolved with fire return intervals of 30 to 110 years are now burning much more frequently (every 5 to 10 years), preventing the re-establishment of native shrubs and grasses. If measures are not taken to restore burned shrublands the result is often a fire-prone monoculture of cheatgrass, which is less valuable to wildlife and livestock.
The priorities of the BLM’s ES&R program are two-fold. The first objective is to stabilize soils to reduce their susceptibility to wind and water erosion and to protect watersheds. The second objective is to rehabilitate rangelands to productive, functional ecosystems that can provide for multiple-uses, including wildlife habitat, grazing, and recreational amenities. Several native wildlife species are sagebrush-obligates, including sage grouse and pygmy rabbits, which are candidates for listing as threatened species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Restoring sagebrush habitats is essential for the survival of these species.

When an area is burned by a wildfire, ES&R assesses the area for post-fire conditions including loss of habitat and damage to watershed values. If the area is determined to be important due to one or more of the aforementioned factors, a seeding plan is developed. If the area is easily accessible and there are no culturally important sites nearby, drill seeding may be an option. For more inaccessible or culturally important areas, seeding may be done aerially by plane or helicopter. Once an area is seeded, it is monitored for three years to determine the success of the seeding given the management objectives.

Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail NCA Land Management – The expansive playa and surrounding public lands of the NCA play host to casual recreationalists, as well as large-scale annual events. In an effort to protect this spectacular environment, RAs assisted with Black Rock Desert large-group recreation use impact assessments. Each summer the Association of Experimental Rocketry of the Pacific (AeroPac), a group of model rocket enthusiasts based in California, hold three separate rocket launch events on the Black Rock Desert. Drawing some 50 – 100 participants each, the organization sets up 3 – 4 lines of launch pads and launch rockets almost continuously from Friday through Sunday. The objective of the AeroPAC monitoring is to collect data at these launch events to assess the event’s impact on the Black Rock Desert site.

Burning Man is the largest organized event occurring on public lands in the state of Nevada. In 2005, the Burning Man organization applied for and received a Special Recreation Permit from the Winnemucca District Office that approved their use of public lands for 2006 – 2010. Attached to the Permit was a list of 79 stipulations mandated by the BLM for compliance to the Permit (e.g., no personal campfires, swimming pools, dumping of wastewater on the playa). These stipulations were designed to provide participant safety and environmental protection. The aim of stipulation monitoring surveys conducted before, during, and after the Burning Man event are to assess participant compliance with the BLM stipulations and the event’s impact on the Black Rock Desert site. RAs conducted population, trash, art on the open playa, monitoring the good, bad and ugly, and perimeter fence surveys.

Abandoned Mineral Lands Survey

Southern Nevada is extremely rich in mineral resources including gold, silver, copper, lead, and other precious metals. Since the late 1800’s mining has been a major sector of the state’s economy. During the early years of mining, little thought was given to what would happen to a mine after its productivity ended. As the years progressed and more people started living in and exploring southern Nevada, abandoned mines have become a major safety hazard. Abandoned mines can be difficult to see and pose a great hazard to hikers, off-highway vehicle users, and curious individuals.
Abandoned mine hazards include loose rock, bad air, cave-ins, rattlesnakes, old explosives, rotten timbers, and high vertical falls. For these reasons in the late 1980’s the Nevada Division of Minerals (NDOM) began an inventory of abandoned mines in Clark County. Progress was slow, and beginning in October of 2007 four Minerals Specialists were tasked to complete the abandoned mineral survey in Clark County. Although scheduled to be completed in June 2008, the Minerals Specialists were well ahead of scheduled and by March 2008 had accomplished their goal; they surveyed approximately 600 hazardous mines and about 1050 non-hazardous mines.
Surveys consisted of Using 7.5 minute quadrangle map to navigate to each mine feature that is listed on the map. Not all mining features are marked on the map and it is not uncommon to find 2 or 3 more mines near a site than are indicated on the map. At each location it is decided, based on the terrain and location, whether each mining feature is a hazard or not. Hazards are features that have the possibility to cause injury and possibly even death:

- Hazard Sites: A Hazard Inventory Sheet is filled out, the mine itself is tagged according to its hazard ID number and a digital photo is taken of the mine.
- Non-hazard Sites: only UTM’s and the rough size information of the feature are recorded.

All information is given to the NDOM who compiles the information and send letters out to land owners if a hazard on their property needs to be properly secured.

Desert Tortoise Conservation

The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is federally listed as a threatened species north and west of the Colorado River under the Endangered Species Act. The Desert Tortoise is one of most elusive inhabitants of the desert, spending up to 95% of its life underground. It lives in a variety of habitats from sandy flats to rocky foothills, including alluvial fans, washes and canyons where suitable soils for den construction might be found. It is found from near sea level to around 3,500 feet in elevation. The desert tortoise occurs today in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California, and western Arizona in the United States. In Mexico, la tortuga de tierra occurs throughout most of Sonora, including Isla Tiburón in the Gulf of California, and southward into northwestern Sinaloa. For additional information about the Desert Tortoise please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Desert Tortoise Recovery Office website.

Line Distance Sampling (LDS) Population Monitoring – In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2007, GBI has fielded an annual monitoring team to conduct Line Distance Sampling (LDS) monitoring of eastern Mojave Desert tortoise populations in Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. As part of a 25-year monitoring program, LDS monitoring and tracking of radio telemetered tortoises takes place in April and May of each year. During the 2008 monitoring season, 14 teams of two successfully collected data on a total of 615 12 km2 transects, and detected a total of 172 live tortoises and 355 tortoise carcasses. LDS crews collection biological (mean carapace length, sex and weight) and geospatial data for each live tortoise and carcass. LDS Monitoring occurs annually in Piute Valley, Mormon Mesa, Beaver Dam Slope, Coyote Springs, and Gold Butte; in 2008, Pahrump South and North were added.

This intensive monitoring effort also requires a dedicated technical support staff including a project coordinator, data specialist, and GIS specialist. Because transects will be walked year-after-year, GBI devoted a significant amount of time and effort to scouting transect start points prior to the field season and to developing accurate and reliable topographic maps, which allowed field crew with thorough driving directions to transect start points. Prior to field monitoring, all LDS Monitoring personnel complete a rigorous 4-week training program in which they are required to demonstrate proficiency in backcountry wilderness field skills including 4WD vehicle operation; the use of GPS, topographic maps, and PDA technology. Field personnel must also prove their ability to follow monitoring protocols thoroughly and precisely.