Conservation district looking to sponsor Eureka students for range camp

Applications are now being accepted from high school students to attend the 56th Nevada Youth Range Camp to be held on June 19-25, 2016. The Eureka Conservation District would like to sponsor any Eureka County student who would like to participate in the annual Nevada Youth Range Camp. The camp is being held June 19-25 2016. The district will fund the price to attend the camp. Please contact Jessica Santoyo at (775) 237-6137 for further information on the Range Camp Sponsorship.

Range Camp will be held at the U.S. Forest Service’s Big Creek Campground in central Nevada. Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 29. Nevada Youth Range Camp is a teenager’s best opportunity to learn about Nevada’s desert and mountain rangelands and diverse ecosystems, while experiencing them first hand. The Society for Range Management operates the week-long camp for 14-18 year olds from Nevada and eastern California. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension conducts the program with staff from various State and Federal agencies including University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Division of Forestry, Nevada Division of Conservation Districts, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife. Financial sponsors include Nevada Wildlife Federation, Nevada Conservation Districts, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, and Nevada Society for Range Management.

Campers will have the opportunity to learn from range management professionals who are knowledgeable in the ecology and management of the Great Basin’s desert and mountain rangelands. Students learn basic surveying and map reading, identification and importance of rangeland plants, evaluation of sagebrush and woodland ecosystems, wildlife surveying techniques, evaluation of stream health, and many other topics related to rangelands. While the camp is educational, it also offers an enjoyable, outdoor experience with activities such as swimming, fishing, hiking, volleyball, horseshoes, campfires and photography.

Interested students must submit an application and letter of recommendation from an adult other than a parent, relative, or sibling. The cost to attend Range Camp is $200, which includes meals and camp activities. Applicants can be sponsored to attend Range Camp by contacting their local conservation district or other organizations. Forms and information can be found on the Nevada Youth Range Camp Web site at http://nevada.rangelands.org/Range%20Camp.html or by contacting Kathryn Dyer (775) 861-6647 or kdyer@blm.gov.

Completed applications with enclosures can be or e-mailed to kdyer@blm.gov. Letters of recommendation must be on the adult’s official letterhead. Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 29. Approved applicants will be notified within two weeks by email. We are trying to go paperless, but if email is not available to you, please send your application by mail to NV Youth Range Camp, c/o Bureau of Land Management, attn. Kathryn Dyer, 1340 Financial Blvd, Reno, NV 89502.