OUTDOOR BRIEFS

FREE FUN

Nevada offers free day of fishing Saturday

Grab your tackle box and fishing poles and head for the water on Saturday for Nevada's Free Fishing Day. This is the one day each year that all anglers can enjoy fishing in Nevada without purchasing a state fishing license or trout stamp.

In conjunction with Free Fishing Day, Nevada State Parks is granting free fishing access to its parks on Saturday.

In Southern Nevada, fishing opportunities can be found at Spring Valley, Echo Canyon, and Beaver Dam state parks in Lincoln County, and Big Bend of the Colorado State Park in Laughlin. For a map of Nevada's State Parks, go to: tinyurl.com/payk5f

HERITAGE TRUST FUND

Wildlife commission approves expenditures

During its May 15 meeting in Reno, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners approved more than $630,000 in expenditures from the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account for 27 projects that will benefit wildlife, wildlife habitat and predator control.

The Heritage Trust Account is funded by sportsmen, either through auctions of big game and turkey tags, or from the Partnership in Wildlife drawing with revenue going to fund the Wildlife Heritage Trust Account.

The list of funded projects consists of:

• North Springs Valley habitat improvement and hazardous fuels reduction project, submitted by NDOW, $7,500.

• Suzie Creek watershed habitat enhancement project, submitted by NDOW, $7,500.

• Roberts Creek Mountain sage-grouse habitat enhancement, submitted by NDOW, $5,206.

• China Camp sage-grouse habitat enhancement, submitted by NDOW, $3,745.

• Shantytown mule deer winter range restoration project, submitted by NDOW, $14,500.

• Mule deer chaining maintenance project, submitted by NDOW, $6,250.

• Highway 93 row fencing removal, submitted by NDOW, $4,000.

• Giroux Wash big game water development project, submitted by NDOW, $12,000.

• Eureka Fish Creek water development, submitted by NDOW, $8,000.

• 2009-10 big game capture transplant and monitoring program, submitted by NDOW, $120,000.

• Sage grouse nesting survival wildlife management areas 6 and 7, submitted by Nevada Alliance 4 Wildlife (Pat Laughlin), $50,000.

• Survey and maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in Meadow Valley, Mormons, Arrows, Muddy, and Virgin Ranges submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.

• Survey and maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in the Spotted, Pintwater, Desert and Sheep Ranges, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.

• Survey and maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in the Las Vegas, Sheep, Delamar, Pahranagats and Hiko Ranges, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.

• Survey and maintenance of existing big game projects with limited access in the Last Chance, Devils, Spectre and Bare Ranges, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $5,495.

• McCullough/Highland Range guzzler tank replacement, submitted by Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn (Jelindo Tiberti), $9,200.

• Dixie Valley solar pump project, submitted by Pershing County Chukars Unlimited (Dan Hill), $7,085.

• Disease monitoring for the conservation of terrestrial big game species in Nevada, submitted by NDOW, $17,750.

• Monitoring use and effectiveness of US Highway 93 wildlife overpass, submitted by NDOW, $36,800.

• Wildlife water development fencing protection project, submitted by NDOW, $10,000.

• Mule deer enhancement, submitted by Hunter's Alert, Inc. (Cecil Fredi), $50,000.

• Mule deer migration corridor fence modification project, submitted by NDOW, $7,500.

• Fish Creek partnership, submitted by Joe Saval Company, LLC (Elisabeth Pugh), $19,000.

• Increase mule deer fawn survival, attempt to increase fawn to doe ratios and overall mule deer herd, submitted by Nevada Alliance 4 Wildlife (Pat Laughlin), $113,200.

• Bighorn sheep population declines: the role of forage quality, disease and genetics, submitted by University of Nevada, Reno (David Thain), $28,500.

• Factors regulating wood ducks in Lahontan Valley, submitted by Nevada Waterfowl Association (Chris Nicolai), $10,490.

• Wildfire impact mitigation and wildlife habitat restoration, submitted by NDOW, $61,173.