Letter from Our State Director, Mauricia M.M. Baca
Dear Friends,
Gratitude.
As we work on our annual report each year, I find it so appropriate that our donors receive it at Thanksgiving. Every story reminds me that it's our generous donors— YOU—who make our work possible. Our entire team is so thankful.
We hope you enjoy this look back at all we accomplished in the past year. We welcomed three incredibly smart, passionate people to our conservation staff: Heather Giger, Peter Gower and Matt Rader, who will be led by our new Conservation Director, Mickey Hazelwood. We made significant advancements in projects like forest management, research on groundwater-dependent ecosystems and restoration options using native seeds. We entered into important partnerships that will advance the cause of conservation across the state and across our three areas of focus: resilient lands, resilient waters and climate action. We have a lot to celebrate!
Looking forward, we also see that the work ahead of us is daunting, with many challenges facing our great state:
The ongoing drought poses real threats to the Colorado and Truckee Rivers—the primary sources of drinking water for Nevada's largest population and habitat centers.
Nevada's lithium deposits will drive the country's green energy transition, and lithium mining could have impacts on ecosystems that are home to rare species. Our science team is studying the potential environmental impacts of this industry.
Wildfire continues to be a threat to our forests and rangelands and our communities.
But no matter the odds, since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has collaborated with partners and local communities to find a path forward together. In Nevada, we are working to address planet-sized problems and know that we will create planet-sized solutions. And you, our amazing donors, work with us to find ways of ensuring that the resource-rich state we are blessed to call home remains just as beautiful and pristine for future generations as it is today.
Thank you for being part of our journey. The work is not done, but together we are creating a future where both people and nature thrive.
Nevada Successes
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Resilient Lands
We joined a public-private partnership to protect forests and drinking water in the Middle Truckee River Watershed. With our partners, we are working on a 10-year vegetation management strategy to improve and restore forest health and resilience. Read more about the Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership
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Resilient Waters
Using our database of indicators of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), we are looking at the stressors and threats to these ecosystems to understand how best to ensure their long-term sustainability for people and nature. Discover Nevada's critical hidden sources of water
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Climate Action
This year, we made important progress with our partners on renewable energy planning, carbon modeling, our Mining the Sun program and more. Read on for some important highlights we achieved with your support. Learn more about our Climate Action Initiative
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Innovation in our Initiatives
This year, our science team completed a first-of-its-kind study finding that rangelands, which are known to store carbon in their soils, could be restored to help reduce the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. Read more about carbon sequestration in sagebrush rangelands
Places We Protect in Nevada
Check out the map below and explore an interactive map of our preserves in Nevada and beyond.
