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Subcommittee approves new construction coordinator position and reduced travel enhancement for Nevada Department of Wildlife
Summary
The joint Senate and Assembly subcommittee unanimously recommended shifting one maintenance worker to a regional construction project coordinator and approved a larger step to aid recruitment; it also approved a reduced travel funding enhancement rather than the governor's full recommendation.
The Nevada Legislaturesubcommittee on Public Safety, Natural Resources, and Transportation on March 20 recommended funding changes for the Department of Wildlife's directors office to improve facility project oversight and to adjust travel spending.
The subcommittee voted unanimously to recommend approving the governor's proposal to add a new construction project coordinator position for the Eastern Region and reclassify an existing maintenance repair worker to a construction project coordinator in the Southern Region, with the approved salary set at grade 35, step 7 to improve recruitment and retention. The motion was moved by Chair Watts and seconded by Senator Wynne and carried unanimously.
Nicolette Johnston of the Legislative Counsel Bureau fiscal analysis division explained the department reported a backlog of approximately 170 construction and maintenance projects statewide and about 120 buildings and facilities to maintain, including fish hatcheries, regional offices and an airport hangar. Johnston said the governor's recommendation originally totaled $275,120 funded with transfers of sportsman's revenue and federal grant funds; the subcommittee approved an option increasing total funding to about $317,816 with higher step placement to attract candidates.
The department's staffing challenges were discussed during the hearing. Jordan Goshert, Deputy Director with the Department of Wildlife, confirmed that the federal funds referenced are "apportion funds that we receive for the PR and DJ" and that the agency applies for those funds annually. Director Alan Jenne clarified the source, saying, "those are non competitive grants. Those are basically federal excise tax on guns and ammunition."
On travel, the subcommittee considered the governor's recommendation that would have raised the director's office in-state and out-of-state travel by roughly 76.3% from the base budget, adding approximately $157,030 over the biennium and resulting in a total travel budget of about $362,798 for 202527. Chair Watts said she was concerned about the growth in the base budget and moved to recommend a reduced enhancement (option 2 as read by staff) that would lower the enhancement and leave a more manageable base. That motion was seconded by Senator Winn and carried unanimously.
Fiscal staff said the department prioritized trips and provided a prioritized travel log after the hearing; removing low-priority trips would reduce the requested enhancement by about $24,861 per fiscal year for in-state travel and $24,743 per fiscal year for out-of-state travel. Johnston noted that if the subcommittee did not approve the enhancement, the department could request additional travel funding later during the 2026 interim through a work program process.
The subcommittee closed other smaller technical and equipment replacement items in the director's office budget by unanimous consent.
Votes at a glance: the subcommittee approved the higher step for the construction project coordinator and the reduced travel enhancement rather than the full governor recommendation; all recorded motions in the director's office budget were adopted unanimously.
The committee moved on to other agency budget accounts after the actions described above.
