Our Conservation Legacy in Nevada
Established out of the back of a pickup truck in 1984, The Nature Conservancy in Nevada has a lot to be proud of three-plus decades later.
From helping to protect Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the 1980s to protection and restoration along the Truckee and Walker Rivers in the 2000s, we’ve been at the forefront of conserving the Silver State for the people and wildlife that call it home. We’ve led the way on conservation easements in the state and helped secure more than $400 million dollars in conservation bonds.
We’re proud of our accomplishments these past 37 years—and we’re just getting started. Join us to help protect Nevada’s lands and waters so people and nature can thrive.
Conserving Nevada for More Than 35 Years
Conserving Nevada's lands
Explore the highlights from our last 30 years of conservation work in Nevada!
We turned a planned 20,000-lot subdivision into 13,000-acre Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
We crafted Nevada’s first conservation easements, saving 7,000 acres of wetlands and two family cattle ranches at Franklin Lake.
A win-win for developers and nature, we protected 5,000 acres at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
We developed an innovative program to acquire 30,000-acre-feet of water rights to restore Stillwater Marsh. Stillwater is Nevada's largest wetland and a critical staging and nesting area on the Pacific Flyway.
We secured $47.2 million for conservation through Nevada’s first statewide conservation bond, Question 5.
Nevada became the first Conservancy chapter to conserve 1 million acres, largely thanks to our work to save desert tortoise habitat.
We protected 625 acres on the Amargosa River to protect the threatened Amargosa toad.
We launched our work on the Carson River with the purchase of 800 acres at River Fork Ranch.
We secured $200 million for open space, lakes and rivers through Question 1, Nevada’s second conservation bond.
We began full-scale restoration at McCarran Ranch on the Truckee River, reviving five river miles for nature and people.
We protected seven river miles and 3,000 acres along the Truckee River canyon corridor at the Nevada-California border.
We acquired more than 3,000 acres surrounding Independence Lake – protecting native fish and drinking water.
We worked with partners on a historic agreement between the U.S. and Mexico on the Colorado River that will help raise water levels in Lake Mead.
We celebrated the restoration of 10 miles of the Truckee River at our fifth project area on the river, the Tracy site.
We helped protect 3,800 acres at Fairfield Ranch, our first conservation success on the Walker River
We are evaluating up to 2 million acres of land in eastern Nevada to guide restoration efforts, supporting sage grouse and the state’s economy.
We formed the Virgin River Coalition with a group of community members, federal land managers, local officials, and others.
In partnership with the Nevada Mining Association, we helped pass a regulatory change that will make it easier to develop renewable energy on old industrial sites.
We acquired the 900-acre 7J Ranch to help protect the headwaters of the Amargosa River.
We completed the Indicators of Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems database, an online interactive story map of Nevada's hidden water.
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Make a Difference in Nevada
We’re tackling the biggest threats to land and water across Nevada so people and nature can thrive.