The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is a Nevada

state agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government The machinery of government (sometimes abbreviated as MoG) is the interconnected structures and proc ...

that focuses on the preservation and management of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources. The current director is

James Settelmeyer James Settelmeyer (born March 6, 1971) is an American politician, formerly serving in the Nevada Senate. He represented Churchill, Douglas, Lyon County, and Storey County in Senate District 17. Early life and education Settelmeyer was bor ...

. The agency is headquartered in

Carson City, Nevada Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on the ...

. One of its holdings is the South Fork Dam and Reservoir near Elko, Nevada.

History

The department was established in 1957 and has been in operations ever since, although the agency experiences several changes throughout its years. In its year of founding, only four departments existed: the division of water resources, state lands, forestry, as well as oil and gas conservation. By 1977, the oil and gas conservation division was changed into the mineral resources division, and five new divisions were also created: the division of state park, the division of conservation districts, the division of environmental protection, the division of water planning, and the division of historic preservation and archaeology. Of these nine divisions, eight of them (excluding the mineral resources division, which became the Nevada Division of Minerals), existed in the current structure of the department, although their names have undergone some changes.

Structure

The department includes the following eight divisions: * Division of Environmental Protection * Division of Forestry * Office of Historic Preservation * Division of Natural Heritage * Division of Outdoor Recreation * Division of State Lands * Division of State Parks * Division of Water Resources. Aside from its eight divisions, the DCNR also operates three standalone programs: # Nevada Conservation Districts Program: Supports Nevada’s community-based conservation districts by providing resources to conserve soil, water, and related resources. # Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Program: Interagency program to protect and enhance Nevada’s sagebrush landscape. # Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program: Regulates off-road recreation and provides funding for off-highway vehicle trail improvements. The DCNR also manages the following commissions and councils: State Environmental Commission, State Conservation Commission, Board for Financing Water Projects, Well Drillers’ Advisory Board, Board to Review Petroleum Claims, State Land Use Planning Advisory Council, Sagebrush Ecosystem Council.

References

Organizations based in Carson City, Nevada Conservation and Natural Resources State environmental protection agencies of the United States {{Nevada-stub