NPLD participants use a stamp, ink and paper to create animal tracks and identify wildlife.
ELY – Heavy rain overnight Friday failed to dampen White Pine County residents’ zeal for National Public Lands Day (NPLD).
Approximately 60 people from Ely, Lund, McGill and Ruth, many of them elementary school-age children, participated in Saturday morning’s event, despite its being moved indoors.
Young people spin the prize wheel, earning a prize and learning the principles of Leave No Trace.
Activities were to be held at the Illipah Recreation Area, 35-plus miles west of Ely. To provide for public safety, the Bureau of Land Management relocated them to the Ely District Office.
NPLD this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Educational activities included responsible ATV use, how to identify animals through their tracks, Leave No Trace principles, and more.
Local partners this year included Basin Engineering, Bath Lumber Co., C & B Auto Parts, D Bar X Meats, Desert Mountain Realty, Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition, Economy Drug, Ely Outdoor Enthusiasts, Ely Times, KDSS 92.7 FM, KELY 1030 AM, Mt. Wheeler Power, Robinson Nevada Mining Co., State Farm Insurance, Sanitary Septic Service, White Pine County Library, White Pine County Road Department and White Pine County School District, as well as the BLM Ely District, Great Basin National Park and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger District.
To learn more about NPLD or to volunteer for next year’s event, contact Erin Rajala at 775-289-1841 or erajala@blm.go
