July 3, 2008

Reno, NV – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today met with a coalition of agencies and individuals working to prevent and battle wildfires in northern Nevada. Reid received a briefing about the current fire season, as well as information about how federal resources are being used to avoid disaster during the dangerous summer season.

Senator Reid has led efforts in Congress to secure money for both wildfire prevention and recovery efforts throughout northern Nevada, including assistance for affected ranchers and farmers in recently enacted legislation.

“The devastation caused by wildfire throughout northern Nevada in the past few years is enormous, and we’re going to do everything within our means to make sure this is a better year,” Reid said. “We talked about what is being done to prepare in the short term, as well as long-range plans for managing our forests. It’s good to know we have dedicated and knowledgeable people working to keep northern Nevadans safe, and I will continue to bring the needed resources home to our state to help them do their job.”

Senator Reid also discussed his efforts to construct a major Bureau of Land Management seed warehouse in Ely. This facility would hold over a million pounds of seed that would be available for prompt reseeding of fire-damaged rangelands and wildlife areas. This project is being considered in Round 9 of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) special account process.

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