University of Nevada, Reno Extension is engaged in Elko County communities, presenting research-based knowledge to address critical community needs in agriculture, children, youth, and families, community and economic development, horticulture, health and nutrition, and natural resources. It is a county-state-federal partnership providing practical education to people, businesses and communities. Extension is a unit of the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources and plays a vital role in fulfilling the University’s land-grant mission.

4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

In 2024, 635 young people participated in the Elko County 4-H Youth Development program. More than 51 youth and adult volunteers led clubs and project activities, teaching life skills. The 12 community and project clubs met in Elko, Clover Valley, Jiggs, Lamoille, Ruby Valley, Spring Creek, Tuscarora and Wells.

Elko County 4-H offers an array of programming, focused on helping young people discover their sparks (passions & interests), gain a sense of belonging and build relationships with youth and caring adults leads to youth thriving and prepared for work and life. The Elko County 4-H Ambassador program trains youth 13-19 to lead activities and run 4-H events. The 2024 4-H Ambassador Team taught livestock showmanship skills to 4-H Cloverbuds, ages 5-8. With these newly developed skills, the youngest 4-H members participated in a Cloverbud Showcase. Ambassadors organized the Showcase and judged the Cloverbuds’ projects. Most of the Ambassadors’ time is spent role modeling and teaching leadership skills to other 4-H members. They plan and lead icebreakers and team-building activities for club officers so that they learn how to create a sense of belonging in their club meetings. Eight 4-H youth built new friendships with youth and volunteers from across the state, participated in environmental education workshops, and spent a week at the State 4-H Camp in Lake Tahoe. Elko County 4-H partnered with the Discovery Museum in Reno to bring an indoor planetarium to Flag View Intermediate School. The event was open to the public, and families experienced hands-on earth science education without traveling outside the County to a planetarium.

4-H Health Rocks!

4-H Health Rocks! applies 4‑H’s successful Positive Youth Development model with life skill development and decision-making to reduce tobacco, alcohol, e-cigarette/vaping and drug use in young people. 4-H Health Rocks! instills confidence and communication skills necessary to make responsible decisions and develop the internal strength to resist risky behaviors. In 2023-2024 the University of Nevada, Reno Extension collaborated with several community partners to teach Health Rocks! to Elko County youth. Communities in Schools invited Brittany Marich, Elko County 4-H Professional, to teach 35 youth in three separate Adobe Middle School class periods for 6 weeks. Brittany presented to Elko High School students, parents, and teachers about the 4-H Health Rocks! program and 4-H curricula that focus on emotional well-being.

4-H Day Camps

The Elko County Office of the University of Nevada, Reno Extension participated in the Americorps program for the first time. Our Americorps member, Elko County 4-H Ambassador, and National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador, Emily Harris assisted in planning and leading three 4-H day camps. Summer 2024 was the first year offering 4-H day camps. Two of the day camps were focused on our 4-H Health Rocks! program, and 16 youth attended the camp in Elko, while 15 youth participated in the Carlin camp. 4-H volunteer leader and the United States Professional Tennis Association instructor, Rick Whittington, led a one-week tennis special interest day camp. The tennis day camp was capped at eight participants to achieve one-on-one instruction. Mental and physical wellness and healthy living in day camp programming supports positive youth development efforts.

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES

Heart & Hope Family Violence Intervention Program

Nevada ranks #3 in the nation for women killed by men due to domestic violence. In Elko County, 405 domestic violence victimizations occurred in 2017, with a rate of 7.7 per 1,000 persons, which is much higher than the national rate of 4.5 per 1,000 persons. The 2012 Elko County Extension needs assessment indicated that domestic violence prevention is a high-priority issue for county residents. The Heart & Hope Family Violence Prevention Program provides Elko County families with resources and skills to strengthen relationships and reduce the risk of future violence.

Heart & Hope Family Violence Intervention Program targets parents and children who have experienced domestic violence. The program teaches communication, emotion identification and regulation, problem-solving, healthy relationships, social/emotional skills, and strengthening families. Since 2015, 64 adults and 140 Elko County youth participated in the program.

Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams

In 2021 Elko County domestic violence calls for service increased by 8.3% compared to 2020. Coordinated community responses, involving multiple systems (e.g., law enforcement, criminal justice system, victim, and child services, etc.) that are victim-centered increase victim safety and participation in the criminal process, increase arrest and prosecution of the offender, and reduce recidivism. Law enforcement agencies that conduct victim danger risk assessments when responding to domestic violence calls prevent domestic violence fatalities. However, a coordinated community response structure must be in place to support the victim.

In 2024 Elko County law enforcement officers (Elko County Sheriff, Elko Police Department, Carlin Police Department and West Wendover Police Department) increased the number of Danger Assessment-Law Enforcement (DA-LE) questionnaires administered to domestic violence victims. Comprehensive strangulation training was offered to all law enforcement personnel in Elko County. Strangulation indicates escalating violence, a precursor to homicide and serious physical injuries, even if no visible signs are present. When officers identify strangulation, they can refer victims to the Domestic Violence High-Risk Team. The team also provided training on victim services and support provided by the advocates at the Committee Against Domestic Violence. The Division of Child and Family Services was invited to the team to enhance outreach and support for families experiencing domestic violence and child welfare concerns. Levanna Layton, Elko County Domestic Violence High-Risk Team Coordinator, and Jill Tingey, Elko County Extension Educator, presented a workshop on the Elko County Domestic Violence High-Risk Team at the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence annual conference in Las Vegas.

AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE

Elko County residents look to Extension for pesticide application safety education and certification and horticulture education. Extension assists clientele in identifying plants, weeds, and insects, diagnosing plant diseases and recommending actions homeowners can take to address plant, weed and insect problems. The Nevada Master Gardener program has expanded to rural areas. Community members interested in volunteering to educate the public about gardening participated in the Home Horticulture Certification program and the Master Gardener Certification program. Elko County has one volunteer, Master Gardener Amber Huff. Amber led the Great Basin 4-H Pollinator Club in planting flowers and plants that would attract pollinators, co-organized and promoted the Elko County Compost Awareness Week, and presented educational workshops on growing and tasting tomato varieties, terrariums and seed starting. Elko County Extension offered the following agriculture, pesticide and horticulture classes in 2022-2023:

• Cattlemen’s Update
• Grow Your Own, Nevada gardening series
• Home Horticulture Certification
• Managing Borers and Bark Beetles
• Master Gardener Certification
• Mormon Cricket and Grasshopper Management
• Mushrooms of the Intermountain West
• Pesticide Application Safety Certification (Spring & Fall)

 HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Radon

Extension's Radon Education Program educates Nevadans about the health risks of elevated radon levels in the home. The program offers literature, maps, educational presentations and low-cost radon test kits.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas with no odor, color, or taste and comes from the soil. Radon gas moves through the soil into the air, where it harmlessly spreads into outdoor air or enters buildings through the foundation and becomes trapped inside. When it enters a building and gets trapped inside, high levels can cause lung cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. More than 21,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year.  Not everyone exposed to radon will get lung cancer, but the greater the radon level and the longer the exposure, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer. Many studies show extended periods of exposure to low levels of radon over a long period caused lung cancer. All homes, offices, schools and preschools should be tested for radon. 

In January and February 2024 free radon test kits were offered to Elko County residents. Forty-three radon test kits were distributed in 2024. Chris Kelly, Nevada Radon Education Program Officer, delivered a three-hour continuing education class for 30 realtors. Radon education is essential for realtors because the Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that prospective home buyers know the radon level in any home they consider purchasing. Realtors have a unique role in educating their clients about the dangers of radon gas and recommending testing during real estate transactions. In 2024, 67 homes in Elko County were tested in a real estate transaction.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

A team of Extension economic and community development faculty and staff published The Economic Impact of Nevada State Parks: An analysis of visitor expenditure and associated economic activity for the Nevada State Parks System in 2022. The report provides economic impacts of the Parks system on local communities, including state parks in Elko County. The Visitor Use Survey Data Profile: Nevada State Parks reviews visitation, diverse recreational interests, demographics, trip quality, park performance and planning priorities. The Nevada Rural Housing Study is designed to help local and state agencies use the data for comprehensive planning. The Nevada Economic Assessment Project economic impact assessment models are located on Extension’s website, making finding evidence-based data to analyze industries and activities associated with policy decisions easier.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Rangeland Wildlife/Livestock Interactions

Paul Meiman, Rangeland Livestock and Wildlife Interactions Specialist, continues to emphasize outcome-based rangeland management. In FY2024, Meiman continued efforts to provide and contribute to formal presentations, informal presentations and hands-on field demonstrations related to cooperative rangeland monitoring, plant identification, livestock grazing management for riparian areas, virtual fencing and the management of invasive annual grasses.  After a team Meiman was a member of completed a nationwide survey about livestock grazing management principles, Meiman gave a series of presentations in Elko County and throughout northern Nevada summarizing the results of the survey.  Meiman also gave a series of presentations across northern Nevada (including in Elko County) about poisonous plants and resources available to find information about them. Meiman continues to serve as coordinator of the Winecup-Gamble Outcome-Based Grazing Collaborative Group. Meiman continues to be actively engaged in multiple other collaborative group efforts related to rangeland management in Elko County, and continues to participate in a multi-state technology transfer effort focusing on the management of invasive annual grasses. This Invasive Annual Grass Tech Transfer Partnership continued developing curricula for workshops and began delivering workshops at 3 different levels throughout the western states. A field workshop to be held in Elko County in 2025, is currently being planned. In FY 2024, Meiman continued work with livestock grazing permittees and state and federal agency representatives regarding the structure and function of different types of streams and implications for livestock grazing management, riparian and aquatic habitat (e.g. for for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout).  Meiman also responds to questions and requests for information on various topics related to rangelands from residents of Elko County (and beyond).