SNAP

The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) is comprised of the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service. SNAP was formed in 1997 as a unique interagency partnership to address 14 initiatives including litter clean-up, volunteerism, resource protection, recreation, science and research, outdoor recreation education, law enforcement, and other issues.

Faced with record growth in southern Nevada and declining budgets, the federal agencies sought a new approach to managing the millions of acres of federal land around Las Vegas. A community partnership with SNAP came into being when Outside Las Vegas Foundation was founded in 2000. Its membership includes prominent local business and political leaders and private citizens. The foundation has become an important advocate for public lands conservation efforts. The partnership benefited from innovative funding through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which allows the federal government to sell unwanted public land and acquire environmentally sensitive land. The Nevada System of Higher Education established the Public Lands Institute at UNLV in 2004 to work with SNAP to implement conservation initiatives including outdoor education, volunteerism, litter clean-up, science and research, and data management.

SNAP accomplishments include:

• Created 14 federal interagency implementation teams to work on projects.

• Established a 16-officer interagency law enforcement and resource protection team.

• Expanded non-profit and university support for and participation in conservation strategies.

• Collaboratively designed a network of parks and trails to connect federal lands with communities.

• Constructed new public lands visitor and education facilities.

Contact: Jennifer Haley, Executive Director
Southern Nevada Agency Partnership
702-293-8951