In Nevada, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (“Department”) is a state agency that conserves, protects, manages, and enhances the state’s natural resources in order to provide the highest quality of life for Nevada’s citizens and visitors. The Department also provides staff support to the Nevada Tahoe regional planning agency and has responsibility for numerous boards and commissions. It is established pursuant to Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 232.020.
The following are the powers of the director entrusted by the Department:
- To establish departmental goals, objectives and priorities;
- To approve divisional goals, objectives and priorities;
- To approve divisional and departmental budgets, legislative proposals, contracts, agreements and applications for federal assistance;
- To coordinate divisional programs within the Department and coordinate departmental and divisional programs with other departments and with other levels of government;
- To appoint the executive head of each division within the Department;
- To delegate to the executive heads of the divisions such authorities and responsibilities as the Director deems necessary for the efficient conduct of the business of the Department;
- To establish new administrative units or programs which may be necessary for the efficient operation of the Department, and alter departmental organization and reassign responsibilities as the Director deems appropriate.
The following are seven divisions of the Department that includes:
Division of Environment Protection – It preserves and enhances the environment of the state in order to protect public health, sustain healthy ecosystems, and contribute to a vibrant economy.
Division of Forestry – It improves the environment of our cities and communities by increasing the planting of trees and improving the care and maintenance of existing trees.
Division of State Parks plans – It develops and maintains a system of parks and recreation areas for the use and enjoyment of residents and visitors. It also preserves areas of scenic, historic and scientific significance in Nevada.
Division of State Lands- It provides land and land use planning services to the State, its agencies and its people.
Division of Water Resources – It conserves, protects, manages and enhances the State’s water resources for Nevada’s citizens through the appropriation and reallocation of the public waters.
Division of Conservation Districts – It provides administrative support to the State Conservation Commission, which develops policy and regulations for the State’s 28 locally elected conservation districts.
Division of Natural Heritage Program– It helps coordinating the resource needs of Nevada’s diverse biological heritage with human activities. It helps in maintaining an inventory and current databases on the locations, biology, conservation, and management status of all threatened, endangered, sensitive, and at-risk species and biological communities, and of noxious weed infestations, in the state.
