PLI OPEN HOUSE April 25, 2008

An Integrated Approach to Public Land Stewardship

The Public Lands Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, specializes in education, research, and community engagement projects related to public land management and stewardship. Our projects focus on the Las Vegas area, Nevada, the Southwest, and the nation.

The Public Lands Institute develops timely, effective solutions to a variety of land management issues for public and private clients. Our projects include designing messaging campaigns, conducting field and laboratory research, developing and managing volunteer programs, and developing and delivering place-based education.

PLI’s vision and mission statements

The Challenge of Managing Public Lands in Southern Nevada

Multiple Land Managers

Four federal agencies manage southern Nevada’s 7 million acres of public land. This includes:

• 8 conservation and recreation areas
• 19 wilderness areas.

Rapid Growth

For more than 10 years, the Las Vegas valley has consistently been among the country’s fastest growing areas. Las Vegas also hosts 36 million visitors annually.

The Challenge

These challenges demand a new approach to funding, management, and community involvement on public lands issues.

PLI featured in Spring 2006 issue of UNLV Magazine

An Integrated Solution

The joint management of the projects among the four agencies and local partners is unique. This collaboration uses the strengths of the federal, state, and nonprofit sectors to better care for public lands and meet users’ needs. It also:

• Reduces duplication of effort across agencies

• Encourages creative ideas and projects that can serve as models for other areas

• Increases public/private partnerships

The institute works with the federal land management agencies and other government partners via a model interagency collaboration: the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP).

• Bureau of Land Management

• National Park Service

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• U.S. Forest Service

• Local municipalities and other governmental agencies

Some of the funding for SNAP’s projects comes from the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.