Friends of Nevada Wilderness Program Accomplishments 2016 Report

Summary Total Restoration Projects: 68 Total Monitoring Projects: 41 Total Volunteers: 644 Total Number of Outreach Events: 53 Total Volunteer Hours: 11,212 Total Trainings Held: 3 Total AmeriCorps In-kind: $60,198 Total Volunteer In-kind: $172,644 Total In-kind: $232,842

Personnel Summary: For 2016, Friends of Nevada Wilderness has 14 regular employees, 8 seasonal staff and 8 AmeriCorps Service Volunteers.

Southern Nevada The southern Nevada crew that made our successful stewardship and outreach work possible include: Jose Witt, Jesy Simons, and Grace Larsen along with occasional support from the northern Nevada crew.

Stewardship Project Summary Number of Stewardship Projects: 33 Total Volunteers: 269 Total Volunteer Hours: 2,772 Total In-kind Donation: $74,083

Stewardship

February 6-7 – Yucca Camp Restoration: AR-51 (Yucca Camp Rd), Eldorado Wilderness: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 15/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 158 Total In-Kind Donation: $4,327 Volunteers worked to remove a camping sign and old barrier (13 posts & cable) from Eldorado Wilderness. Volunteers naturalized 90 feet of the decommissioned section of AR-51 (Yucca Camp Rd) and built a new barrier (32 posts & cable with a walk-through) at the new wilderness boundary. This will lead to 2,286 feet of passive restoration on the route. 11 volunteers camped out with Friends staff.

February 27 – Arrow Canyon Extravaganza: Arrow Canyon: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/4 Total Volunteer Hours: 96 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,918 Volunteers worked in Arrow Canyon for 5 hours. 4 volunteers installed a 2 panel kiosk at the Arrow Canyon main parking lot. 8 volunteers repaired the post and cable fence at the trailhead parking lot. 2 BLM employees oversaw each project.

March 12 – Cleanup at Cottonwood Cove: Lake Mead NRA: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 5 Total In-Kind Donation: $115 Volunteer filled 2, 33 gallon garbage bags with trash while hiking at Cottonwood Cove.

March 15 – ASB Campsite Prep: Interagency Office: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 1.5 Total In-Kind Donation: $56 Volunteer picked up the shade shelter to help reserve our ASB camp at NV Telephone Cove.

March 18-20 – ASB Campsite Prep: NV Telephone Cove: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 46 Total In-Kind Donation: $1,158 Volunteers prepped the ASB site at NV Telephone Cove.

March 20-24 – Alternative Spring Break: Lake Mohave, Lake Mead NRA: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 17/5 Total Volunteer Hours: 480 Total In-Kind Donation: $13,035 Volunteers put up 2 post and cable barriers for vehicles. The barrier at AR-18 consisted of 9 posts and spanned 91 ft. The barrier at AR-13 included a walk-through and consisted of 11 posts spanning 103 ft. Volunteers completed 1,551 feet of active restoration of the decommissioned routes, leading to the passive restoration of an additional 3.9 miles. Volunteers removed the road signs from both areas. Volunteers installed an "ecological restoration in progress" sign at AR-13 and "road ends here" sign at AR-18.

March 23 – Alternative Spring Break: Christmas Tree Pass: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 14/4 Total Volunteer Hours: 187 Total In-Kind Donation: $4513 Volunteers picked up over 34 bags of pesky, difficult to remove decoration from Christmas Tree Pass. Volunteers installed 2 post barriers. One barrier used 8 posts to line the parking area for Spirit Mountain hikers, preventing widening. Another barrier used 2 posts in the trail going up to Spirit Mountain to prevent vehicle incursions.

April 15 – SH Architecture at Brownstone Basin, La Madre Mountain Wilderness: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 30 Total In-Kind Donation: $772 Volunteers from SH Architecture spent the morning in Brownstone Basin. We started the day with an interpretive hike led by Mark Boatwright, BLM Archaeologist. We then repaired a vehicle barrier with Robert Valenzuela.

April 19 – MGM Earth Day, Lovell Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 54 Total In-Kind Donation: $1,579 Volunteers from MGM Resorts picked up 5 cubic yards of trash from Lovell Canyon at the 2nd camping area on USFS Road 540

April 24 – Willow Canyon Fence Pull, Cold Creek: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 16/6 Total Volunteer Hours: 160 Total In-Kind Donation: $3,956 Volunteers removed 0.95 miles of defunct, barbed allotment fencing from the area around Willow Spring. That's 1200 lbs of barbed wire and a truck full of t-posts. There are 1.5 miles of fencing remaining. Our work led to 429 acres of wildlife (elk) habitat restoration!!

May 14 – GO Mt Charleston Spring Cleaning, Lee Meadows: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 22/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 88 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,895 Volunteers with Friends picked up 5 cubic yards of litter from Lower Lee Meadows. Groups all over Mt. Charleston picked up a total of 3,570 pounds of trash as part of the event.

May 22 – Lovell Canyon Restoration, Lovell Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 8/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 48 Total In-Kind Donation: $1,297 Volunteers actively restored 262 linear feet of a motor vehicle incursion into Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, which will lead to the passive restoration of another 1702 feet. Route was at the end of FS road 45540. Volunteers also picked up 155 lbs of litter from the area.

June 4 – National Trails Day, South Loop Trail: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 11/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 61 Total In-Kind Donation: $1,676 6 volunteers plus 5 members of the Bristlecone Chapter of Back Country Horsemen maintained one mile of South Loop trail. We built and improved 4 drainage structures where the trail was insloped and trapping water. We also sawed out a log that was across the trail.

June 18– McFarland Fence Installation, McFarland Canyon, SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 50 Total In-Kind Donation: $1,281

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5 volunteers, 2 staff, and 1 USFS staff worked to install a barrier in McFarland Canyon. In total, 11 wooden posts were installed. The remainder of the barrier will be completed by USFS and Back Country Horsemen. The barrier will keep wild horses out of the canyon and allow stock through.

June 21– Bonanza Tree Scoping, Bonanza Trail, SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 12 Total In-Kind Donation: $331 Volunteer did reconnaissance on the Bonanza trail; collected photos and waypoints for 8 down trees on the north end of the trail.

June 25– South Loop Trail Work #2, South Loop Trail: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 10/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 80 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,265 10 volunteers, 2 staff, and 4 members of a GBI trail crew improved the 1st 1.75 miles of South Loop Trail. 1 switchback was stabilized in order for pack support to travel safely along the trail. 7 water bars/drain dips were either improved or installed.

July 9 – McFarland Pole Pack-in, McFarland Canyon SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 11/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 176 Total In-Kind Donation: $4,579 11 volunteers from the Backcountry Horsemen of Nevada used their horses and mules to pack 36 poles into McFarland Canyon for later installation as a fence to prevent wild horses from gaining access to Wilderness.

July 23 – South Loop Trail Work #3, South Loop Trail: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 13/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 104 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,820 13 volunteers & 2 GBI trail crew members installed 5 water bars & a rock retaining wall on the lower 1.25 miles of South Loop trail.

July 29 – FS Elements Monitoring, Old South Loop SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 8 Total In-Kind Donation: $231 2 volunteers went out to inventory Old South Loop trail. Volunteers turned back when a lightning storm rolled in.

July 30 – FS Elements Monitoring, Old South Loop SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 18 Total In-Kind Donation: $462 Volunteers inventoried Old South Loop trail for the FS Elements.

July 30 – Bonanza Trail Beautification, Cold Creek, SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 9/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 72 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,035 9 volunteers and 3 staff members improved and maintained 0.5 miles of the Bonanza Trail. 4 water bars were constructed and 5 existing drainages were revamped.

August 7 – FS Elements Monitoring, Bonanza Trail SMNRA : USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 18 Total In-Kind Donation: $477 2 volunteers inventoried plane wreck, pahrump overlook, & old bonanza saddle routes for the FS Elements. 3.63 miles of routes inventoried.

August 7 – Bonanza Trailwork, Bonanza Trail SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 9/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 63 Total In-Kind Donation: $1599 9 volunteers maintained the northernmost 0.5 miles of the Bonanza trial. 2 waterbars were built, 4 re-shaped, and a lot of trail tread re-sloped.

August 11 – FS Elements Monitoring, Mack,s Peak SMNRA : USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 16 Total In-Kind Donation: $430 2 volunteers inventoried the route up to Mack's Peak. 2.02 miles of routes inventoried.

August 21 – FS Elements Monitoring, Mummy’s Nose SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 27 Total In-Kind Donation: $715 3 volunteers inventoried the route to Mummy's Nose. 3.65 miles of routes inventoried.

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Sept 4 – FS Elements Monitoring, McFarland, SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 22 Total In-Kind Donation: $572 2 volunteers inventoried 2 routes to McFarland Peak. 4.09 miles of routes inventoried.

Sept 2-5 – Sage Grouse Habitat Protection, Clear Creek/Monitor Range: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 125 Total In-Kind Donation: $3472 5 volunteers from Southern NV worked to remove Pinyon & Juniper from where it was encroaching on sagebrush habitat.

Sept 17-18 – Griffith Shadow Trail Extravaganza, Lovell Canyon SMNRA: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 6/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 207 Total In-Kind Donation: $5030 6 volunteers cut the last, 0.62 mile section of Griffith Shadow Loop Trail over 2 days. 8 members of Bristlecone Chapter of BCH provided pack support for gear & rode the trail to define the tread..

Sept 24 – National Public Lands Day, South Loop Trail, SMNRA : USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 7/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 49 Total In-Kind Donation: $1447 7 volunteers & 6 GBI trail crew members worked to maintain the lower mile of South Loop trail. We improved or built 7 drainage features and brought berms back into the trail. At the end of the project, South Loop was reopened.

October 21 – Boat House Cove Restoration, Pinto Valley Wilderness: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 15 Total In-Kind Donation: $545 3 volunteers, 1 staff, & 1 NPS employee naturalized 210 linear ft of a motor vehicle incursion stemming from the first campsite on Boathouse Cove Rd. We also lined the campsite with rocks to visually delineate a border.

October 25 – Tule Springs Cleanup with NV Energy, Fossil Beds NM: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 8/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 32 Total In-Kind Donation: $850 8 volunteers, 2 staff, & 3 NPS staff picked up 3 tons of trash from Tule Springs. Focus area was the north end of Jones Blvd. Volunteers were from NV Energy environmental services team. Most were from LV, but some were from northern NV for an annual conference.

November 5 – Corn Creek Weed Pull with UNLV, Desert NWR: USFWS Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 96 Total In-Kind Donation: $2215 12 volunteers and 3 staff removed phragmites from near refugium at Corn Creek. A total of 4 truck beds were removed (approx. 10 cubic yards). 3 speakers talked to the group: Kenny Anderson from LV Paiute tribe, Archaeologist Spencer Lodge from USFWS, & UNLV Professor Patrick Naranjo who is a professor at UNLV. Volunteers were a group from UNLV Serves. Volunteers signed 8 DNWR postcards.

November 9 – Keen and Zappos Cleanup at Tule Springs, Fossil Beds NM: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 17/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 68 Total In-Kind Donation: $1676 17 volunteers from KEEN & Zappos spent two hours cleaning up Tule Springs, at the north end of Durango Rd. Volunteers picked up 4 cubic yards of trash (at least 400 lbs). Event was a trial run for a bigger clean up in the springs that will accommodate 100 - 200 volunteers.

December 14 – 4th Annual Canoe Project, Lake Mead NRA: NPS Total Volunteers/Staff: 9/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 99 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,753 17 volunteers from KEEN & Zappos spent two hours cleaning up Tule Springs, at the north end of Durango Rd. Volunteers picked up 4 cubic yards of trash (at least 400 lbs). Event was a trial run for a bigger clean up in the springs that will accommodate 100 - 200 volunteers.

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Monitoring (Spring Monitoring) – Southern Nevada Monitoring Project Summary

Number of Monitoring Projects: 34 Total Springs Monitored: 102 Total Volunteers: 126 Total Hours: 844 Total In-kind Donation: $23,254

January 30 – Spring Monitoring Hike, Lovell Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 7/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 42 Total In-kind Donation: $1,178 2 staff and 7 volunteers monitored Lost Cabin spring, off of USFS Rd 545. 6 volunteers were trained to monitor springs for the first time.

March 9 – Spring Monitoring, Horse Spring Complex: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 22 Total In-kind Donation: $659 1 staff and 2 volunteers monitored 4 springs around Horse Spring. 1 volunteer was trained. This was our first attempt at the tarp collection technique to measure spring flow. Spring snails were collected from Unnamed 49 and Horse Spring South for genetic testing.

March 12 – Spring Monitoring Hike, Lovell Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 12 Total In-kind Donation: $357 1 staff trained 3 volunteers to monitor springs at Cave Spring 2. Cave spring 2 was not monitored because we could not find the source due to heavy snow cover.

April 16 – Citizen Science Day, Lee Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 29/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 174 Total In-kind Donation: $5,011 Staff trained students from CSN classes, UNLV Chemistry Club and community volunteers to monitor springs at Gallium Spring. USFS Botanist Jennifer Brickey joined to talk about plants

May 21 – SM Training with BCH, Wheeler Pass: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 45 Total In-kind Donation: $1,244 1 staff joined 5 volunteers from Backcountry Horsemen to Buck Spring to train them in Spring Monitoring protocol.

May 27 – UNLV ACS Club, Harris Spring: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 17 Total In-kind Donation: $381 3 members of the UNLV ACS club monitored 2 springs, Harris 1 and Harris 2. Springs should be monitored again.

June 5 –Spring Monitoring, Macks Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 6 Total In-kind Donation: $138 Minas & Family volunteered to monitor a spring in Macks Canyon

June 11– Spring Monitoring Picnic, Deer Creek Picnic Area: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 11/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 66 Total In-kind Donation: $1,904 2 staff accompanied 11 volunteers to monitor Unnamed 16 spring in the Deer Creek Picnic area. 6 more volunteers from the LVMC joined for the picnic afterwards but we're not trained to monitor springs. Training day will be set up for the LVMC.

June 16– Spring Scoping, Macks Canyon: USFS 2 staff joined FS Soil Scientists to assess where springs in the Macks Canyon drainage were located. Spring locations were verified and new springs were discovered.

June 23– Spring Training, Macks Canyon: USFS 2 staff monitored 4 springs in Macks Canyon drainage. Oswald Spring, High Macks 1, 2 & 3.

July 5 – Spring Monitoring, Kyle Canyon: USFS 1 staff monitored 4 springs along the Stanley B road. Stanley B (water wall), Stanley B 1, 2, and 3.

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July 6 – Spring Monitoring, Mud Springs: USFS 1 staff monitored 1 spring in Mud Springs area. West Mud Spring.

July 7 – Spring Monitoring, Kyle Canyon: USFS 1 staff searched for 2 springs on the west side of Cathedral Rock. Unable to locate any surface water

July 8 – Spring Monitoring, Mud Springs: USFS 2 staff GPS-ed Mud Springs trail and monitored 2 springs (Middle Mud, Middle Mud Lower).

July 9 – Spring Monitoring and McFarland Pole Pack-in, McFarland: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 4 Total In-kind Donation: $92 2 volunteers rode horses up to Hummingbird Spring in McFarland Canyon and took a waypoint of the spring.

July 10– Spring Monitoring Hike, Harris Springs Road: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 9/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 54 Total In-kind Donation: $1,522 9 volunteers were trained or given a refresher of how to monitor springs at Harris Spring A. Upper Harris 2 was dry and didn't seem to exist, Upper Harris 1 was very close to private property and not monitored.

July 16– Spring Monitoring, Deer Creek Picnic Area: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 12 Total In-kind Donation: $277 2 volunteers monitored 2 springs in Kyle Canyon (Unnamed 14 & Deer Creek Picnic)

July 19– Spring Monitoring, Carpenter Canyon: USFS 1 staff monitored 3 springs in the Carpenter Canyon (Lees Spring Upper, Lees Spring, Star Mound).

July 20– Spring Monitoring, McFarland Canyon: USFS 1 staff monitored new spring in McFarland Canyon (Hummingbird spring). Very minimal surface water.

July 22– Spring Monitoring, Trout Canyon: USFS 1 staff and 1 USFS employee monitored Trout Spring in Trout Canyon.

July 22– Spring Monitoring, Cold Creek: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 10 Total In-kind Donation: $304 1 volunteer monitored Whiskey and Mc Farland springs.

July 22– Spring Monitoring, Stanley B: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 15/02 Total Volunteer Hours: 45 Total In-kind Donation: $1,038 2 staff, 2 OLVF staff, & 15 volunteers from Big Brothers Big Sisters monitored Stanley B3 spring.

July 23– Spring Monitoring, Kyle Canyon: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 16 Total In-kind Donation: $410 2 volunteers monitored Fletcher and Mossfoot Step springs.

July 31– Spring Monitoring Training, Mud Springs: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total In-kind Donation: $633 2 staff and 4 volunteers monitored Unnamed 80 and East Mud springs

August 5– Spring Monitoring, Wood Spring: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total In-kind Donation: $633 1 volunteer monitored Wood Spring

August 5– Spring Monitoring, Cave Spring: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total In-kind Donation: $553

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3 volunteers monitored Cave Spring, West Cave Spring (Trail Canyon Spring), Mummy Toes Spring and Mummy Toes Seep.

August 6– Spring Monitoring Training, Cathedral Chute: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 10/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 50 Total In-kind Donation: $1,453 3 staff & 10 volunteers learned how to monitor a spring by monitoring Cathedral Chute

August 6– Spring Monitoring, Cold Creek: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 6 Total In-kind Donation: $138 1 volunteer monitored Sawmill and No Name MKC spring

August 6– Spring Monitoring, Raintree: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 16 Total In-kind Donation: $369 2 volunteers monitored Mummy Springs

August 9– Spring Monitoring, South Loop & Rainbow Canyon: USFS 3 staff monitored Rainbow Canyon Spring, Griffith Spring and found a new spring and named it Griffith 2 Spring.

August 13– Spring Monitoring, Kyle Canyon: USFS 1 staff monitored Mazie Spring

August 17– Spring Monitoring, Lovell Canyon: USFS 2 staff monitored Coal Spring, Cave 1 & 2, and CC Spring.

August 31 – November 20 – Spring Monitoring, Spring Mountains: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 130 Total In-kind Donation: $3,596 Bob Henry monitored springs all over the Springs Mountains in the fall and kept a running tally of his hours and miles which he reported at the end of the year.

October 9– Spring Monitoring Training, Deer Creek Spring: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/0 Total Volunteer Hours: 66 Total In-kind Donation: $1,952 1 NSC professor trained by staff to monitor springs lead a spring training for NSC students. 12 volunteers monitored Deer Creek Spring.

NORTHERN NEVADA

Stewardship Project Summary Number of Stewardship Projects: 35 Total Volunteers: 236 Total Volunteer Hours: 2,539 Total In-kind Donation: $72,856

Stewardship: March 12 – Santa Rosa Hanson Fire Seedling Planting, Tom’s Basin/Lamance: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 13/6 Total Volunteer Hours: 157 Total In-kind Donation: $3,622 Planted 326 Wyoming Big and 1560 bitterbrush seedlings grown at Winnemucca High School by Jen Partee. Nora Kaufmann was the trip leader of our group of 20 including 3 FNW staffers, 5 FNW volunteers, 5 Nevada Mule deer society members, and the Stewardship team. Planted at both the Tom Basin Fire and Hansen Fire locations.

March 26 – Coleman Fire Seedling Planting, Mosquito Mountain/Massacre Rim WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 48 Total In-kind Donation: $2,912 2400 sagebrush seedlings were planted by 4 volunteers and 3 FNW staff, augmenting too the sagebrush population ravaged by the 2014 Coleman Fire.

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April 1 – Desatoya Scout Trip, Desatoya Mountains WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 8 Total In-kind Donation: $185 Nora and Bob travelled out to the Desatoya Mountains WSA to scout the project area. They identified a meeting location below the summit as well as several camping options. In addition, they were able to ascertain information about the worksites and gain a better understanding of the location and geography.

April 9 – Desatoya Seedling Planting, Desatoya Mountains WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 17/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 85 Total In-kind Donation: $2,674 Volunteers and staff were able to plant 1500 seedlings at the Cold Springs Fire site. Despite not being able to camp due to weather 17 volunteers braved the elements and worked all day in the rain. A fantastic lunch of tortilla soup and strawberry-rhubarb coffee cake was prepared by Richie Bednarski and greatly increased the moral of volunteers as they warmed themselves under the pop-up tent We finished planting around 2:00 and hauled 4 cubic yards of garbage out of the area.

April 15-17 – Desatoya Seedling Planting, Desatoya Mountains WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 9/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 90 Total In-kind Donation: $2,214 The second Desatoya Seedling planting was a great success, 9 volunteers 5 of which were first time FNW volunteers, planted 1450 seedlings at the Cold Springs fire site. On the day of the project 2 more volunteers joined one of which was board member Louis Bubala.

April 21 – Desatoya Seedling Planting, Desatoya Mountains WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 21 Total In-kind Donation: $484 2 FNW staff and 3 volunteers were able to plant 1500 seedlings at the Cold Springs Fire site. Volunteers and staff worked steadily to get the seedlings in the ground. A total of almost 2.5 acres was covered augmenting a previous 2+ acres.

April 27 – Mt Rose Weed Scout, Mt. Rose Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 12 Total In-kind Donation: $277 Weed scouting mission in the Mt Rose Wilderness along the Hunter Creek trail.

April 30 – KTMB Community Cleanup and Weed Pull, Mt. Rose Wilderness/Hunter Creek: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 44/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 176 Total In-kind Donation: $4,060 Friends of Nevada Wilderness partnered with the Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful foundation and pulled over 6000 musk thistle and 300 perennial pepper weed plants from the Hunter Creek Trail. 44 volunteers participated and were able to remove invasive species from three different locations in and around the Mt. Rose Wilderness. The first weed pull of the season was enormously successful and many KTMB volunteers expressed interest in volunteering with FNW.

May 6 – Mt. Rose Weed Scout, Mt. Rose Wilderness: USFS The stewardship team was led by Nora Kaufmann on a weed monitoring mission in the Mt Rose Wilderness along the Hunter Creek trail. FNW staff Richie Bednarski Pat Bruce were both present.

May 9 – Mt. Rose Weed Scout, Mt. Rose Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 18 Total In-kind Donation: $406 The stewardship team was led by Bob Harington on a weed monitoring mission in the Mt Rose Wilderness along the Hunter Creek trail. FNW staff Richie Bednarski and AmeriCorps volunteer Ashley Hudson were both present as were three FNW volunteers.

May 12– Mt. Rose Weed Pull, Mt. Rose Wilderness/Hunter Creek: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 12 Total In-kind Donation: $271 Friends of Nevada Wilderness pulled more than 3,900 musk thistle plants from the Hunter Creek Trail. The stewardship team was led by Nora Kaufmann in the Mt Rose Wilderness along the Hunter Creek trail. AmeriCorps volunteers Bob Harington and Ashley Hudson were both present as were two FNW volunteers.

May 14– TRAINING-Leave No Trace Trainers Course at Washoe Lake State Park, NV

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Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/4 Total Volunteer Hours: 90 Total In-kind Donation: $2,030 Stewardship team was led by Richie Bednarski to attend a Leave No Trace Trainer Course facilitated by NOS Jessi Snaman and NOS AmeriCorps Volunteer Leah. FNW staff Nora Kaufmann, Dan Alvey and AmeriCorps volunteer Ashley Hudson were present as were four FNW volunteer. Volunteers, Staff and AmeriCorps Members received valuable hands on training in the Leave No Trace.

May 18– Mt. Rose Weed Scout, Mt. Rose Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 12 Total In-kind Donation: $277 Richie Bednarski led one FNW AmeriCorps and 1 volunteer on a scouting trip to Belli Front looking for musk thistle. Thistles were identified at several sites.

May 29– Black Rock Rendezvous Trego Hot Springs, Black Rock NCA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 13/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 78 Total In-kind Donation: $2,303 Working with the BLM and over 20 volunteers, we replaced and built .25 miles of post and rail fence to keep OHV users off of the sand dunes near and around Trego Hot Springs. We dug holes and set the posts and applied linseed oil. We also removed 4 cubic yards of trash from the site. It was a great success with hard work from everyone. We partnered with the BLM and Friends of Black Rock/High Rock NCA.

June 3–5 – National Trails Day, Steven’s Camp/Black Rock NCA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 34 Total In-kind Donation: $1,215 Went to the Stevens camp cabin to participate in national trails day with Friends of Black Rock and their volunteers and the BLM. We arrived Friday and set up camp with FBR and the BLM. On Saturday morning the volunteers and agency staff were split into two groups: one group worked on 1.3 mi of the upper high rock canyon trail (limbing and sawing large logs blocking the trail), the other group worked on the cabin (repainting the roof, window trim, cabinets, and shower, cleaning up the cabin, fixing the sink, and other general maintenance).

June 4 – Mt Rose Weed Pull/National Trails Day, Hunter Creek/Mt Rose Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 72 Total In-kind Donation: $1,624 Friends of Nevada Wilderness pulled more than 3,900 musk thistle plants from the Hunter Creek Trail. FNW constructed a 1/4 mile of new trail along Hunter Creek. The stewardship team was led by Richie Bednarski in the Mt Rose Wilderness along the Hunter Creek trail. AmeriCorps volunteer Bob Harington and Annie Baker were present as were twelve FNW volunteers.

June 10-12 – Pahute Peak Wilderness Restoration Project, Big Mtn. Spring: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 85 Total In-kind Donation: $1,961 Route restoration project in the Black Rock Mountains. 150 feet of route was restored and 4 posts were installed to mark the wilderness boundary. The drive in and out of the work sight was treacherous and punctured a tire twice requiring multiple attempts and 12 plugs to fix.

June 14 – Weed Warriors Thistle Pull, Hunter Creek/Mt. Rose Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 30 Total In-kind Donation: $600 Annie Baker and Nora Kaufman took 4 volunteers 3 miles into the Mt. Rose wilderness, Hunter creek trail waterfall. Over 1,000 musk thistle plants where pulled and clipped in the meadow above the waterfall.

June 22 – Wilderness Weed Warriors Weed Pull, Hunter Creek Trail: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/4 Total Volunteer Hours: 21 Total In-kind Donation: $474 Pulled 2100 musk thistle on the lower upper site of the Hunter Creek Trail for 7 hours, including hiking time. 3 bags of seed/flower heads were also removed. We identified patches of Medusa head in the lower upper site.

June 24-26 – Little High Rock Arch Survey/Fence Pull, Little High Rock Wilderness: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/3 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total In-kind Donation: $2,000 Removed more than 1/3 mile of fence and the posts and wire were loaded into trucks for recycling and reuse. AmeriCorps Members Bob Harington and Ashley Hudson were also present, as well as 3 Surprise BLM employees. Following the day of removing fence, we visited an Archeological site and Surprise BLM's Archeologist, Jen, taught us a little bit about the site and archeology.

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June 26-29 – Calico Boundary Marking, Calico/Little High Rock Wilderness: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 2/5 Total Volunteer Hours: 48 Total In-kind Donation: $646 Placed 12 steel, tubular, boundary marking posts on the boundary of the Calico Mountains Wilderness and the Little High Rock Lake Wilderness. The team also removed 8 carsonite signs as well as trash along the route.

June 30 – Wilderness Weed Warriors Weed Pull, Hunter Creek Trail: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 4/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total In-kind Donation: $541 The Stewardship Team led by Annie Baker, along with FNW staff member Nora Kaufmann and 3 volunteers pulled more than 2500 musk thistle plants and removed more than 4700 seed heads from the Mt Rose Wilderness along the Hunter Creek Trail.

July 1-8 – Jarbidge Trail Work Hitch #2, Mary’s River, Jarbidge Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/6 Total Volunteer Hours: 200 Total In-Kind Donation: $9,463 The FNW Central/Eastern Nevada Crew was packed into the Jarbidge Wilderness by 5 volunteers that donated their time, pack-stock and expertise. Their donation helped the crew perform much needed trail maintenance on the northern portion of the Mary's River trail.

July 8-10 – Table Mtn. Sage Grouse Pinyon Juniper, Table Mtn.: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 3/1 Total Volunteer Hours:24 Total In-kind Donation: $554 Removal of pinion and juniper from sage grouse habitat. We set up camp in a beautiful Pinion forest and met with agency contact Michael West who explained the historic relationship of fire at the interface of Juniper and Sage Brush. Michael continued by explaining how removing small Junipers at this interface would preserve sage grouse habitat. Completed work on three different areas identified by Michael.

July 15-17 – Santa Rosa Sage Grouse Fence Marking, Able Creek Wash: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 6/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 15 Total In-kind Donation: $1,551 Marked 2 miles of fence. The group convoyed out of Reno at 1:00 pm and arrived at Lye Creek Campground around 5:00 pm. On Saturday the crew drove to the Paradise Valley USFS field office to pick up the markers which were installed on a fence bordering the Santa Rosa Paradise Peak wilderness.

July 15-22 – Jarbidge Trail Work Hitch #3, Mary’s River, Jarbidge Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 1/9 Total Volunteer Hours: 78 Total In-Kind Donation: $1,838 Continued work in Jarbidge Wilderness on the trail system in the Mary’s River area.

August 12-14 – Sage Grouse Fence Marking, Santa Rosa RD: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 8/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 128 Total In-Kind Donation: $3,200 Six volunteers, two AmeriCorps members, and one staff leader drove to the Santa Rosas to mark barbed wire fence with reflectors. The specific area work site location was Able Creek and Wash O'Neil. One group went to Able Creek and Wash O'Neil while the other worked at Tom Basin and Solid Silver. The reflectors served as a way for the local Sage Grouse to stop running into the fence posts and dying. We covered 2 miles of fencing with reflectors.

August 19-21 – Black Rock Boundary and Route Marking, Black Rock NCA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 7/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 154 Total In-Kind Donation: $3690 6 volunteers 2 FNW staffers and 1 AmeriCorps headed out Friday afternoon to Stevens Camp. On the day of the project 16 boundary posts were installed as well as one route end marker. The project was a great success and was the second for the new UTV Mean Joe Green.

Sept 2-5 – Table Mountain Sage Grouse Pinion Juniper Removal : USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/4 Total Volunteer Hours: 300 Total In-Kind Donation: $7,068 Removal of pinion and juniper from sage grouse habitat.

Sept 9-11 – High Rock Canyon Fence Pull, Black Rock NCA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 5/1 Total Volunteer Hours: 90 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,120 Nora Kaufmann and AmeriCorps member Ashley Hudson along with four volunteers continued working to help remove a section of unused barbed wire fence from the Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness. In addition to removing G10

another 1/3 of a mile of fence, volunteers helped move more fencing materials out of the wilderness to the road for the BLM to pick u. Halfway through the day, 4 BLM employees arrived to help.

Sept 23-24 – National Public Lands Day, Black Rock NCA, Pahute Peak Wilderness: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 9/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 117 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,899 FNW joined forces with NOS, FBRHR, BLM, NDOW, and USFWS for the first annual Desert Dace Day. Work included restoring critical Desert Dace habitat and continued maintenance on the public us cabin at Soldier Meadows. A total of almost 1 acre of habitat was restored, which includes over 20 cubic yards of bull rush vegetation removed. In addition, the cabin received new steps, a deep and thorough cleaning, and new paint. Picnic tables were scraped and painted.

Sept 30 to Oct 2 – Arc Dome Fence Pull, near Arc Dome Wilderness: USFS Total Volunteers/Staff: 12/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 160 Total In-Kind Donation: $4,026 Nora Kaufmann and Richie Bednarski led this trip of 12 volunteers. Originally the project was going to be a fence pull near Columbine Campground just outside of Arc Dome Wilderness, however a week before the trip Michael West (project partner, wildlife biologist with Austin-Tonopah) called to change the project to a fence repair. Michael West was counted as a volunteer during this trip because he was not on the clock with the Forest Service. We repaired about 2 miles of fence on the Hangman Springs exclosure about a mile up the trail from Columbine Campground.

Oct 19-21 – Cold Springs Fire Habitat Restoration, Desatoya WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 6/2 Total Volunteer Hours: 80 Total In-Kind Donation: $2,065 Six volunteers joined FNW staff for our 4th and final planting in the Desatoya Mountains, around the Cold Springs Fire. A long, rewarding day allowed volunteers to get 1,800 sagebrush seedlings in the ground, focusing on the identified high erosion areas.

Nov 4-6 – Holloway Fire Habitat Restoration, Disaster Peak WSA: BLM Total Volunteers/Staff: 7/3; Total Volunteer Hours: 56 Total In-Kind Donation: $3,606 Severn volunteers joined three staff and we planted 1,590 seedlings (590 bitterbrush, and 1,000 were a mixture of chokecherry, blue elderberry, and golden currant.) For dinner, Pat made his famous Hungarian Goulash.

Monitoring – Northern Nevada

Monitoring Project Summary Number of Monitoring Projects: 7 Total Volunteers: 13 Total Hours: 105 Total In-kind Donation: $2,451

Solitude Monitoring Program – The Solitude Monitoring Program continued this year and included program support from the stewardship and trail crews as well as volunteers. Monitoring has been done throughout Nevada.

Project Days: 3 volunteer days, 80+ days in conjunction with other project work Total Volunteers: 5 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total In-kind Donation: $554

Monarch Butterfly/Milkweed Monitoring – The Monarch Butterfly monitoring program began this year and was funded, in part, by a National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance Grant. Monitoring is being done throughout Nevada. As with the solitude monitoring, much of the monitoring is being done supplemental to other project work.

Project Days: 2 volunteer days, 80+ days in conjunction with other project work Total Volunteers: 6 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Total in-kind Donation: $554

Ely Stewardship Program – This program was funded directly through the Forest Service to provide wilderness monitoring assistance to the Ely Ranger District. Monitoring includes solitude monitoring and site monitoring for Mt. Moriah, High Schells, Bald Mtn. and Shellback Wilderness areas. The work is primarily being done by the FNW Trail Crews in coordination with their work doing trail maintenance under other agreements. At season’s end FNW G11

will provide the Forest Service with a comprehensive set of data and analysis, along with recommendations on how to improve future monitoring efforts for all nine of the Ely RD wildernesses. One volunteer participated in the monitoring. Total Volunteers: 1 Volunteer Hours: 43 Total in-kind donation: $1,013

Wovoka Wilderness Stewardship – This program is funded through NWSA to initiate a comprehensive monitoring program for one of Nevada’s newest wildernesses. Monitoring will be done for- invasive species, non-compliant structures, solitude, livestock grazing and cultural resources. FNW staffer Jake Kastner coordinated this effort. Total Volunteers: 1 Volunteer Hours: 14 Total in-kind donation: $330

Mt. Rose Wilderness Stewardship – This program is funded through NWSA to initiate a diverse program to address Educational Initiatives in the Mt. Rose Wilderness. Project components include-  development of a “Dog Ambassador” program to address growing problems with dogs and dog waste on several trails  volunteer training to identify invasive weeds and continue to grow a volunteer cadre to assist in managing invasive weeds  general stewardship monitoring to include solitude monitoring and site monitoring  general wilderness education to grow understanding and support for wilderness and,  Monarch Butterfly/milkweed monitoring. (While this component was written into the Mt. Rose proposal it will cover monitoring work throughout the state.

Nora is coordinating this effort with Annie Baker taking the lead on the field operations. Annie made incredible progress with many events, tabling, brochure development, etc. for the Dog Ambassador program.

Training – Northern Nevada

Training Project Summary Number of Trainings: 3 Total Participants: 39 Total Hours: 538

June 8-10 – Weed Warriors/University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Total Participants/Staff: 4/2 Total Hours: 96 Friends of Nevada Wilderness staff, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers participated in a three day, 16 hour class on Northern Nevada specific invasive weeds and treatment methods. All participants left with a thorough understanding of invasive plants, how to identify them, best practices for treatment, and the threats they pose to our environment.

June 6-7 – Wilderness First Aid/Foster Calm Total Participants/Staff: 22/3 Total Hours: 352 Hosted by Friends of Nevada Wilderness and facilitated by Foster Calm, several staff and volunteers took this two-day intensive wilderness medical training course. Participants walked away with the confidence needed to safely and effectively manage emergency situations in remote locations.

May 14-15 – Leave No Trace Trainers Course/Nevada Outdoor School at Washoe Lake State Park, NV Total Participants/Staff: 4/4 Total Volunteer Hours: 90 Stewardship team was led by Richie Bednarski to attend a Leave No Trace Trainer Course facilitated by NOS Jessi Snaman and NOS AmeriCorps Volunteer Leah. FNW staff Nora Kaufmann, Dan Alvey and AmeriCorps volunteer Ashley Hudson were present as were four FNW volunteer. Volunteers, Staff and AmeriCorps Members received valuable hands on training in the Leave No Trace.

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Crew Accomplishments (Northern)

Central Nevada Trail Crews

In 2016, Friends of Nevada Wilderness hired, trained and is managing two four-person trail crews. The crew leaders were Ben Thayer and Andrea Welsch. Crew members were Izak Helmig, Wes Jaynes, Elinor Oldberg, Duncan Wilmot, Sage Gandolfo, and Evan Platter. During the 2016 field season, the crews completed over 78 miles of trail maintenance, including cutting and removing over 370 down trees blocking the trails. The crews worked across the state in Jarbidge, Arc Dome, Santa Rosa, High Schells, Mt Moriah, and Mt Rose Wilderness Areas. In addition, the crews completed a variety of monitoring for the Forest Service including campsite and solitude monitoring along with Monarch Butterfly and milkweed monitoring. Funding came primarily from the Recreation Trails Program but their funding has been supplemented by several other grants. These grants include the Secure Rural Schools for White Pine and Nye County, and direct funding from the USDA Forest Service

One volunteer has provided trail maintenance assistance. As of August 1 – Total Volunteers: 1 Volunteer Hours: 78 Total in-kind donation: $1,838

Fire Planning/Education Planning The Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest funded FNW to assist in the completion of a Wilderness Fire Planning process for the Forest as well as a Wilderness Education Plan which would also cover the whole forest. This work is primarily being done by FNW staff person Mike Rowan. Work has been progressing well and the Forest will have a product in hand by year end. Dave Reis was added to the team. Work continues

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge Crew Pat Bruce oversaw the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge crew that consisted of Crew Leader Noah Creaney, Assistant Crew Leader Michael Sirianni and two AmeriCorps Service volunteers. The 2016 Sheldon crew had a successful season completing 26 of the requested projects. Removing a total of 12.6 tons of metal. They worked on various projects this season including the removal of metal pipe and rail exclosures that were originally put up by NDOW to protect springs from horses. They also continued to remove non-functioning troughs and fence as well as removing old study exclosures and beginning the process of removing wooden posts from old fence across the refuge.

Southern Nevada Trail Monitoring and Mapping Funded by a Forest Service Wilderness Stewardship Elements agreement, Jake Kastner has been surveying user created trails in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. In approximately 20 days in the field, Jake has personally mapped 23 miles of user created trails and data for an additional 12 miles has been submitted by volunteers. The ultimate goal of this program is to inform trail system managers in the SMNRA and to create a useful trail map in partnership with Go Mount Charleston!

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AmeriCorps Service Volunteer Contribution: $60,198

 Sheldon AmeriCorps Service Volunteer – 300 hour TOTAL Sheldon Crew In-Kind $10,236 o Josh Peterson In-Kind Donation $5,118 o Eric Bascio In-Kind Donation $5,118

 Trail Crew Volunteer – 300 hour TOTAL Stewardship Crew In-Kind $10,236 o Sage Gandolfo In-Kind $5,118 o Evan Platten In-Kind $5,118

 Stewardship AmeriCorps Service Volunteer – 900 hour TOTAL Stewardship Crew In-Kind $34,608 o Bob Harrington In-Kind Donation $17,304 o Ashley Hudson In-Kind Donation $17,304

 Mt Rose Stewardship Associate Volunteer – 300 hour TOTAL Stewardship Crew In-Kind $5,118 o Annie Baker In-Kind Donation $5,118

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