Introduction

This fact sheet is one in a series evaluating impacts of community partnerships that address natural resource issues in northeastern Nevada. Beginning in the mid-1990s, community members from all walks of life began to cooperatively evaluate and address several natural resource issues that had the potential to affect the quality of life in northeastern Nevada. Earlier fact sheets (McAdoo and Carpenter 2002, McAdoo et al. 2003a, both accessible at www.unce.unr.edu) present case histories and impacts of two weed action groups formed in Elko County. Another fact sheet evaluates the impacts of the Cottonwood Ranch Holistic Management Team (McAdoo et al. 2004). This fact sheet evaluates the impacts of the Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group, Inc. (NNSG). The NNSG formed as the result of frustrated citizens and agency representatives looking for common ground and collaborative resource stewardship alternatives.

History

In the fall of 1998, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Elko and Battle Mountain Field Offices hosted a three-day workshop on “Community Based Partnerships and Ecosystems for Healthy Environment.” Many workshop participants saw merit in the principles and formed the NNSG early in 1999. The NNSG is a diverse community-based group that includes area ranchers, miners, conservationists, sportsmen and other recreationists, businessmen, federal and state agency representatives, county commissioners, and other interested citizens. The group’s mission statement, finalized in April 1999, is as follows:

Whereas: As the Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group, we appreciate: opportunities which allow us to live and work in northeast Nevada; natural resources which enable local prosperity; productive ecosystems which provide healthy environments and quality lifestyles; and our western heritage, culture, and customs -

Therefore: In order to ensure a better future for our families, community, and future generations, to build trust among our diverse citizenry, and to ensure sustainable resource use, we join together as full partners to provide a collaborative forum for all willing participants. We are dedicated to dynamic, science-based resolution of important issues related to resource stewardship and informed management of our public lands, with positive socioeconomic outcomes.

NNSG works to demonstrate the principles of balance and stewardship embraced in the Western Governor’s Association’s En Libra doctrine. More specifically, the NNSG’s approach is one of collaboration, a grassroots or “ground up” approach to land management issues, for which participation by all stakeholders is not only welcome, but necessary. The organization strives for solutions that are science-based, but value driven. This approach seeks solutions that can be supported by all stakeholders as trust improves between resource users and land management agencies.

Goals

The NNSG membership decided from the outset to “begin with the end in mind.” Since issues, concerns, and opportunities related to natural resources comprised the stimulus that brought the diverse group together, participants decided to focus on emerging issues rather than wrestle with the politics of past issues. Realizing that participants should “check their guns at the door” during meetings, the group established three primary goals:

1. To establish trust and mutual respect between diverse agency and community members involved in public land issues;
2. To provide a community forum for scientific presentations related to healthy ecosystems, earth science topics, and problem solving;
3. To develop sustainable relationships and expectations that reduce conflicts, simplify and streamline planning, and provide multiple use opportunities within the region.

Standard Operating Procedures

The NNSG meets monthly to address diverse topics dealing with natural resources and relationship building. With an average monthly attendance of approximately 30 members, the participants identify, prioritize, and address emerging natural resource issues. To address topics needing further study and/or effort beyond that which monthly meetings would fulfill, the group forms “pods” (committees). Each pod addresses its specific topic and reports back to the group. Examples of active NNSG pods include Science, Cultural Heritage, Sage Grouse Conservation, Fire, Roads, Recreation, and SWEATCO (Soil and Water Enhancement Action Team Coalition). The latter is a former 501- C-3 organization that chose to join the NNSG and function as a pod within the organization.

Funding

NNSG applied for and received 501-C-3 IRS status in November of 2002. The NNSG is funded by grants, private and corporate donations, and community support funds from the US Forest Service and BLM.

Since 2000, the group has received four grants:

• April 2000 - $20,000 from N-1 Grazing Board – for “on the ground” demonstration plots related to sage grouse habitat enhancement
• August 2000 - $16,000 from Nevada Legislative Committee on Public Lands – “in support of sage grouse planning”
• December 2002 - $15,000 from the National Forest Foundation, Community Assistance Program – for Collaborative Stewardship
• May 2003 - $5,000 from the Sonoran Institute, Resources for Community Collaboration – “in support of the collaborative efforts of the Elko County Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation Strategy”

Educational Programs

Educating group members as well as local citizens about natural resource management has been, and continues to be, a priority of the NNSG. The group has hosted numerous symposia and workshops that bring scientists, private citizens, public land users, and agency personnel together to share and discuss information (see Figures 1 – 3). Listed below are the NNSG-sponsored (and co-sponsored) symposia, workshops, and field trips since the group’s beginning:

• September 1998 – Community Based Partnerships and Ecosystems for a Healthy Environment (3 days)
• November 1998 - Community Based Partnerships Follow-up (2 days)
• April 1999 – National Environmental Policy Act Workshop (1 day)
• September 1999 - Great Basin Rangelands Science Symposium (2 days)
• April 2000 – Spring Training, The Partnership Series (2-day)
• November 2000 – Applegate Partnership and Sagebrush Symposium (2 days)
• April 2001 – Fire Ecology and Revegetation Symposium (2 days)
• June 2001 – Deseret Land and Livestock Ranch Tour (2 days)
• September 2001 – Learning Community Workshop: Linking people, Place, and Perspective (2 days)
• March 2002 – Northeast Nevada Outdoor Recreation Workshop (2 days)
• September 2002 – Community Economic Assessment: Discovering Reality and Choices (2 days)
• November 2002 – Restoration and Management of Sagebrush-Grass Communities Workshop (5 days)
• May 2003 – Riparian Ecology and Restoration Workshop
• June 2003 – NNSG Sage Grouse Habitat Enhancement Plots Tour (1 day)
• November 2003 – Mining and the Community: a Partnership (2 days)
• July 2004 – Spruce Mountain Rangeland Improvements Tour (1 day)
• August 2004 – Rock Creek Watershed Tour (1 day)
• November 2004 – Plant-Herbivore Interaction Workshop (3 days)

Many of these educational events included instruction/presentations by nationally recognized experts. For example, the Restoration and Management of Sagebrush-Grass Communities Workshop included several nationally acclaimed plant and wildlife ecologists, and was attended by approximately 300 participants from 13 western states and 1 Canadian province. Co-sponsors of these educational sessions have included such diverse partners as the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Mining Association, Society for Range Management, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Elko County, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Western Folklife Center, local mining companies, and others.

Most of the NNSG’s monthly meetings since 1999 have featured presentations on emerging natural resource issues by recognized scientists and resource specialists. Examples of topics covered in monthly meetings are as follows: En Libra Philosophy, Sage Grouse Ecology, Community Based Stewardship, Mine De-watering, Weed Control, Northeastern Nevada Rangeland Resources Survey, Spotted Frog Conservation Plan, Community Economic Assessment, Jarbidge Elk Herd Research Project, BLM Fire Amendment Review, Native American Consultation Process, Wild Horse Management, History of Vegetation Monitoring, Fire Management, Biodiversity and Rangeland Production, A Collaborative Project to Restore Meadowland for Sage Grouse, Cultural Heritage of Watersheds, and many others.

Other Accomplishments

Listed below are some of the primary accomplishments of the NNSG, beyond the classroom and field tour instructional events highlighted above.

The “Elko County Sagebrush Ecosystem Strategy” (Strategy) has been NNSG’s flagship project for several years and a galvanizing force within the organization. The sage grouse has been petitioned for listing as threatened or endangered throughout its range. Other sagebrush obligate species are also being viewed by environmental organizations as potential candidates for listing. Land use restrictions that would accompany listings are seen as potentially restrictive to multiple use and management of resources. Therefore, the NNSG, assisted by a wildlife management consultant, spent almost four years preparing the Strategy, which was submitted to the Governor’s Office in June 2004.

This Strategy uses a watershed approach and includes provisions for monitoring and adaptive management. During the first six months of the planning process, the “Sage Grouse Pod” (including area ranchers, agency resource specialists, and others) met weekly to discuss issues and solutions (Figure 4). The Strategy was written to include opportunities for local businesses and ranchers as NNSG members seek to enhance habitat for sage grouse and other sagebrush-associated wildlife species.

In the process of promoting collaborative approaches to natural resource issues, NNSG representatives have made educational presentations at 11 state meetings, 6 regional meetings, 11 national meetings/workshops, and 2 international meetings. Many of these presentations were by invitation. These are in addition to numerous local presentations to other groups in northeastern Nevada. Most recently (September 24, 2004), the NNSG’s Sage Grouse Pod Chairman (Dr. Gary Back) was requested to testify at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Oversight Hearings on Sage Grouse Conservation, in Washington, D.C.

The SWEATCO pod is NNSG’s “elbow grease” committee for getting on-the-ground projects accomplished. This group has performed a variety of service projects on public lands, including: wildlife “guzzler installations, fence removal and construction, riparian vegetation plantings, native seed collection, and restoration of an historic cemetery. Before joining NNSG as a pod, SWEATCO received the “Wayne E. Kirch Nevada Wildlife Conservation Award” for its many wildlife habitat enhancement projects on public land.

Many of the NNSG’s educational efforts have led to or augmented other community actions. As an example, the 2002 Outdoor Recreation Workshop added impetus to the Elko County Visitors Authority’s advertising campaign regarding Elko County’s public land recreational opportunities. Similarly, NNSG’s 2003 Mining and the Community Workshop spawned another local action group, the Northern Nevada Partnership-E, which focuses on mining/community sustainability. The NNSG has recently posted its website, NNSG, which contains information about the group and a calendar of upcoming activities.

Impact Evaluation

The educational programs planned and cosponsored by the NNSG have affected community awareness and working relationships among agencies and resource users. General citizens, agencies, academicians, and politicians are contacting the NNSG for educational information or to suggest emerging issues that need scientific discussion.

Questionnaires have been used at the conclusion of appropriate instructional events, and results indicate that disseminated information has been useful and favorably received. For example, evaluation forms completed by attendees of the Fire Ecology and Revegetation Symposium (n = 70, response rate = 46%) rated the instructional and informational quality of the conference at 4.6 on a 5.0 scale (1 = poor, 5 = excellent). Attendees of the Restoration and Management of Sagebrush-Grass Communities Workshop (n = 290, response rate = 33%) rated the over-all conference value at 4.5 on a similar scale. These same attendees rated the utility factor for workshop information at 4.7. A few comments from survey respondents were as follows:

“…best organized and most useful information of any workshop I’ve been to…”; “…timely information really hit the nail on the head…”; “….the workshop applied directly to my work and addressed issues I deal with on a daily basis…”; “…maybe one of the very best [workshops] I have been to in my 26 years with BLM…”

A questionnaire survey of NNSG members (n = 31, response rate = 64%) at the 2004 5-year evaluation and planning meeting showed the following in terms of the group’s effectiveness, based on a 5- point scale (1 = unsuccessful, 5 = very successful):

• Building trust and respect among the NNSG constituency, 4.3
• Providing a community forum for education, 4.7
• Working to reduce conflicts, 4.0.

As a continuation of this quest for objective evaluation, the NNSG’s effectiveness is also currently being evaluated by the Ecosystem Management Initiative of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. During a March 2004 workshop, the participants used existing evaluation data to establish future NNSG goals, objectives, strategies, activities, assets, and threats. In May of 2004, the BLM initiated an additional outside evaluation (in progress) by Northern Arizona University’s Social Research Laboratory.

Statewide, the NNSG is viewed, because of its progress on the Elko County Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation Strategy, as a positive model for other regions of the state as they address the sage grouse issue. The group has also been recognized nationally for its trend-setting example of addressing the sage grouse issue in a collaborative and timely fashion. During 2002 - 2004, the NNSG was presented with four awards for collaborative work on natural resource issues:

• 2002 - “Public Service Award 2002” from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest “For Outstanding Cooperation in Public Land Management”
•  2002 - An award from the Bureau of Land Management “For Excellence and Dedication in the Collaborative Management of America’s Public Lands”
• 2003 - “Group Volunteer Award” from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• 2004 - BLM Director’s 4-C’s Award for “Making the World a Better Place Through:
  • Consultation
  • Cooperation
  • Communication
  • Conservation

Summary

The NNSG remains hopeful about its ongoing educational programs and efforts to enhance relationships and skill building. The group thinks this will prepare each participant in the collaborative process for meaningful involvement in the community and the public land planning arena. According to results of a recent survey of the four northeastern Nevada counties, the vast majority of citizens (80%) prefer such collaborative approaches for resource stewardship over debating resource use conflicts in court battles (McAdoo 2003).

According to Leta Collord, current NNSG President:

“The important story is the part that NNSG has played in opening up conversations among voices that use our public lands in northeastern Nevada and the agencies responsible for land management and natural resource regulations. From the outset, the NNSG has placed great importance on bringing scientific educational opportunities to our membership, the agencies, and our community. We will continue to do that. We will also continue to bring people together around natural resources topics to expand our understanding and shared goals, to develop a community vision, and to recognize where problem solving can take place to afford an improved reality of community sustainability.”

Helen Hankins, Manager of the Elko BLM Field Office observed that

“the NNSG has been an intangible influence that has settled down the working relationships between government agencies and resource users.”

References

• McAdoo, J.K., and J. Carpenter. 2002. Woad Warriors – Community Weed Awareness. Univ. of Nevada Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet. FS-02-62. 4 pp.
• McAdoo, J.K. 2003. Public Opinions about Rangeland Resources in Northeast Nevada. Rangelands 25(4): 51-56.
• McAdoo, J.K., J. Wilkinson, and D. Rafferty. 2003a. Spring Creek Weed Action Team (SWAT) – A Case Study. Univ. of Nevada Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet. FS-03- 04. 4 pp.
• McAdoo, J.K., J. Davison, S. R. Swanson, and A. Smith. 2004. Working Together for Healthy Landscapes and Quality Lifestyles – Impact Evaluation of Cottonwood Ranch Holistic Management. Univ. of Nevada Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet. FS-04- 67. 6 pp.
• McGinty, K., J. Pipkin, and D. Gelburd. 1995. The Ecosystem Approach: Healthy Ecosystems and Sustainable Economies. Report of the Interagency Ecosystem Task Force. 55 pp.
• Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group, Inc. 2004. Elko County Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation Strategy. 111 pp.

Published by: McAdoo, K., Collord, L., Back, G., and Hankins, H., 2004, Impact Evaluation of the Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-04-68

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