Nevada

Nevada joins 6 Western states demanding more water investments

Published

1 year ago

May 1, 2024

Nevada joins 6 Western states demanding more water investments

Jeniffer Solis
| Nevada Current

Nevada’s senators joined federal lawmakers from six other Western states Monday to demand additional funding to address the region’s long-term drought, worsened by climate change.

The Colorado River remains in an unfolding and worsening crisis. Water demand on the river far exceeds supply, meaning less water is available to refill the river’s large reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Such a scenario could risk water supply and hydro power to millions of Westerners.

Congress has moved to address the historic drought in the West by funding Colorado River management and conservation efforts, according to Nevada Current. In 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided $4 billion for projects that mitigate drought in the 17 Western states served by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation.

However, that funding is only available through 2026.

Portions of that funding have been used to compensate farmers and ranchers for water conservation in the lower basin after Nevada, California, and Arizona agreed to collectively reduce water use by at least 3 million acre-feet through the end of 2026, when the Colorado River’s current operating guidelines are set to expire.

In a letter Monday, Nevada’s Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, and Reps. Dina Titus and Susie Lee, urged U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to “bring all resources to bear in helping address long-term drought and aridification in the Western United States.”

“Drought remains a severe risk for American farmers and ranchers and threatens farmland and local economies that rely on dwindling water resources,” wrote the lawmakers.

More than 30 lawmakers signed on to the letter, including several from Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana, Arizona, California.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, at the end of March, 23% of the West was in drought. Areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and western Montana are experiencing extreme and exceptional drought this spring. In the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, dry conditions have persisted, with record low snowpack in some areas, raising concerns about worsening drought conditions.

In western Montana, snowpack is well below normal and at record low levels for some areas. While minor drought improvements were made throughout much of the West, worsening drought conditions are expected heading into the summer, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Lawmakers acknowledged the Biden-Harris Administration’s recent steps to increase the number of agriculture conservation practices eligible for Inflation Reduction Act dollars, but emphasized that more comprehensive funding across the West is needed. In the letter, lawmakers called for further investments in upstream, watershed-scale projects, water forecasting, water conservation, and watershed restoration.

Upper basin “watershed-scale investments greatly benefit all downstream uses, in particular for our farming and ranching communities,” reads the letter.

The letter noted that funding for large-scale agricultural conservation in lower basin states has greatly helped address the drought, but that “smaller scale on-farm measures and larger-scale upstream watershed restoration and improvements” are also needed to address both short-term drought recovery and future resilience.

In the West, U.S. Forest Service lands comprise 19% of the total land area and contribute 46% of the surface water supply, meaning that more investments in public national forest lands would have a significant impact on downstream surface water flows, according to the letter.

Specifically, lawmakers called on the White House to provide additional funding for Natural Resources Conservation Service programs related to water forecasting, water conservation, and watershed restoration. Lawmakers also requested funding for measures that upgrade water infrastructure, build soil health, and contribute significant ecosystem benefits.

“Reliable and sustainable water availability is absolutely critical to any agricultural commodity production in the American West, and swiftly deploying funds to producers and watersheds in our States and Districts is crucial to help them respond to more frequent and severe droughts,” lawmakers wrote.

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Nevada

Nevada attorney general joins multi-state lawsuit over SNAP benefit cuts during government shutdown

Published

4 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Nevada attorney general joins multi-state lawsuit over SNAP benefit cuts during government shutdown

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Tuesday he is joining a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration over cuts to federal food assistance benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown.

As the shutdown enters its fourth week, approximately 500,000 Nevadans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, face uncertainty about their November benefits. Our state typically receives around $90 million per month in federal SNAP funding.

WATCH | Anyssa Bohanan breaks down some of the ways the shutdown is affecting Southern Nevadans

Nevada SNAP to go without funding as government shutdown stretches on

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says on their website that SNAP benefits will not be distributed starting Nov. 1, stating “the well has run dry” and pointing to Senate Democrats as the reason for the shutdown. Nationally, SNAP helps approximately 42 million Americans.

WATCH | Scripps News speaks with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins about the ongoing shutdown, impact to SNAP benefits

Agriculture secretary says emergency fund isn’t enough to cover SNAP benefits

However, attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia argue the USDA is making a “deliberate” decision to withhold contingency funds that exist for exactly this scenario.

RELATED STORY | DoorDash, restaurants offer free help as SNAP funding lapses during shutdown

“The Trump Administration’s choice to cut SNAP benefits is not only a deliberate, cruel and extraordinarily harmful decision, it is unlawful. And the reason it cites — the ongoing federal government shutdown — is inadequate,” Ford said in a news release.

In an agency memo obtained by Scripps News, the USDA says they are saving more than $5 billion in contingency funds for more immediate emergencies like “hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.” Further, the agency says the appropriations for regular monthly benefits do not exist anymore due to the shutdown, and they will not reimburse states who try providing benefits themselves.

“Contingency funds exist for this exact scenario, yet the USDA has decided to abdicate its responsibility to Nevadans and refused to fund SNAP benefits. I understand the stress of not knowing where your next meal is coming from, because I’ve lived it. I don’t wish that stress on any Nevadan, and I’ll fight to be sure nobody in our state goes hungry. I urge Governor Lombardo to do the same and to work with his party and President Trump to ensure that Nevadans receive their SNAP benefits,” Ford continued.

Gov. Joe Lombardo has urged the federal government to end their standstill, citing its harmful effects on Nevada in letters sent our federal delegation, specifically over SNAP.

In the 51-page lawsuit, attorneys general claim the lapse in SNAP benefits would bring more harm beyond just those who rely on the program, but also local governments, school systems and food pantries as their supplies can’t meet the spike in demand.

WATCH | Steve Sebelius speaks with local food pantry over the SNAP benefit crisis

Members of Congress, Governor Trade Letters Over SNAP amid Shutdown

Ford joins attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin in the lawsuit. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania have also joined the suit.

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Nevada

Nevada-grown tree begins journey to become Capitol Christmas Tree

Published

23 hours ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Nevada-grown tree begins journey to become Capitol Christmas Tree

The Nevada Air National Guard in Reno will unveil a 53-foot Christmas tree on Tuesday — a Nevada-grown red fir that will travel across the country to the U.S. Capitol Building.

According to a news release from the Nevada Air National Guard, the tree was grown in the Carson Ranger District and has been temporarily housed at its Reno base. The Guard transported the tree on Sunday for decoration ahead of its whistle-stop tour through Nevada and beyond.

The tree will also appear in Carson City for the Nevada Day Parade on Saturday before continuing its journey east.

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 55-year tradition in which one of America’s 154 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol during the holiday season.

Jim Kaufmann, executive director of Capitol grounds and arboretum at the architect of the Capitol, selected this year’s tree from nine candidates identified by Forest Service staff in the Carson Ranger District in northern Nevada and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area outside Las Vegas.

“Selecting a tree to adorn the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol is a great honor,” Kaufmann said in a previous Forest Service release. “Forest Service staff showed me nine wonderful candidates during my visit. Ultimately, we selected a magnificent red fir to represent the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Nevada at the U.S. Capitol during the 2025 holiday season.”

The red fir, or Abies magnifica, grows at higher elevations and is known for its blue-green needles that point upward and dense, sturdy branches — ideal for displaying ornaments, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.

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Nevada

Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Medallion has been found by Carson City family – Carson Now

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Medallion has been found by Carson City family – Carson Now

After 15 clues and weeks of searching, Greg Saunders of Carson City, along with his wife, 1 year old daughter, and faithful dog, have found the 2025 Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Medallion, ending this year’s hunt with an exciting discovery.

The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Committee met with the family on Sunday, October 26, at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno to present them with the official medallion and a $1,000 prize.

Now in its 24th year, the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt has become a cherished tradition for families across the state. Each fall, participants decipher daily clues that draw on Nevada’s rich history, culture, and geography to locate a hidden medallion placed somewhere on public land.

“This event really brings people together,” said Michele Montoya of the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Committee. “It’s about learning Nevada’s history, exploring new places, and enjoying the thrill of the hunt.”

This year’s clues guided hunters across central Nevada, referencing landmarks tied to the Pony Express, the Overland Telegraph, and early settlers. The final clue revealed the treasure’s resting place near the Edwards Creek Valley Historical Marker in Churchill County.

Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt, and organizers are already planning a larger celebration for the milestone event.

For more information and to follow next year’s hunt, visit www.nevadadaytreasurehunt.org, or follow on social media.

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