Wildlife agency asks for law‑enforcement funding, habitat restoration support and a centralized data system

Nevada Department of Wildlife Director Alan Janae presented budget requests and program updates to the Legislative Commission’s budget subcommittee, seeking additional law enforcement support, funding for a centralized wildlife database, and continued investment in habitat restoration programs.

Why it matters: NDOW’s work influences hunting and fishing access, public safety on state waters, wildlife habitat health and conservation funding. Agency choices about fees, staffing and data systems will affect sportsmen and women, rural economies and state compliance with federal wildlife and water projects.

Data modernization and database request: NDOW said it needs about $1.26 million annually to develop a centralized wildlife data system that would combine multiple existing databases to support research, public records requests and licensing services.

Law enforcement and public safety: NDOW emphasized that game wardens are category‑1 peace officers and said grant and federal funding constraints limit the department’s ability to use user‑derived sportsperson funds for broad public‑safety missions. The agency requested additional state general fund support to ensure boating and watercraft safety, emergency responses and law enforcement activities do not divert restricted federal excise funds.

Habitat and restoration: NDOW reported treating about 84,000 acres of habitat last year at a cost the agency cited as roughly $3,700,000 and said total restoration since 2017 is about 710,000 acres. The department said sagebrush loss is a major concern — it estimated roughly 50% less sagebrush statewide than in prior decades — and requested continued funding for sagebrush resilience and prescribed treatments.

Youth licensing and outreach: NDOW described a youth licensing initiative that removed a $15 fee and created a donation‑assisted fund; the agency said more than 10,000 youth licenses were obtained through the program and that about 65% of those holders had never previously held a fishing license.

Predator fee split and small projects: NDOW explained last session’s change splitting predator‑fee allocations into habitat/research and lethal management pots; the agency said the initial election by applicants produced roughly 66% selecting lethal management and the remainder selecting habitat/research, creating approximately $373,000 for the habitat/research pot. The agency intends to fund habitat and research projects from that pot in the coming year.

Bills and regulatory proposals: NDOW said it will seek legislation (Senate Bill 79) to allow the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners to set license and tag fees by regulation within legislatively defined inflationary limits. The agency also filed a cleanup bill (Assembly Bill 59) to clarify that game wardens enforce state law as category‑1 peace officers and to update language about antler‑point definitions and feeding prohibitions for rabies‑vector species and cervid bodily fluids.

Risks and surveillance: Director Janae flagged chronic wasting disease (CWD) as a near‑term threat at Nevada’s borders, said NDOW conducts surveillance and prepared contingency planning, and asked for vigilance and funding to respond quickly should CWD be detected in Nevada.

Next steps: NDOW will supply legislative language and program scopes to the Legislature as bills move through committees. No formal votes occurred at the hearing.