Local Man Earns Conservation Award

Chad Bliss, long time resident of Eureka County, was awarded the Wayne E. Kirch Conservation Award at the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners meeting on Saturday, August 12. The award is given annually to recipients who have demonstrated significant results towards conservation, management or enhancement of wildlife.

Larry Johnson submitted a nomination for Chad back in March of this year.  Johnson said in his nomination “Mr. Bliss continues to work tirelessly on behalf of Nevada’s Wildlife Resources. He was instrumental in the planning and implementation of habitat improvement and a water development project in Eureka County”.

Bliss is Vice President of the Nevada Outdoorsman in Wheelchairs and has also played a very big part in establishing the Silver State Tag program which has yielded over $300,000 dollars in 2016 alone. Johnson went on to include in his nomination that Bliss first served on the Eureka County Advisory Board before being appointed to the Nevada State Wildlife Commission, his rural background in addition to his lifelong exposure to wildlife, hunting, fishing, and trapping has given him an in depth knowledge of wildlife conservation. Bliss’s work with handicapped sportsmen from youth to wounded veterans has also gained him national recognition.

Brett Jefferson, the President of the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn also nominated Mr. Bliss and said: “Chad has volunteered in excess of 300 hours and there is no accounting for how much personal out of pocket expenses he has contributed”. The judging panel is made up of two wildlife commissioners, one Department staff member, Marlene Kirch daughter of former commissioner Wayne E. Kirch and four County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife members or Outdoor Groups.

Bliss was completely unaware of the nomination and was surprised by his family when he received the award in Carson City.