Nevada State Parks seeks funding for law-enforcement gear, staff and reservation-system costs

Administrator Bob Markell, who leads the Division of State Parks, outlined the agency's biennial budget request and a set of enhancements at a March subcommittee hearing. The division requested funding for nine new commissioned positions, 45 body-worn cameras and vehicle dash cameras with an associated cloud service, several conversions of seasonal jobs to permanent roles, and one‑time investments for vehicles and park equipment.

Markell said Nevada has 27 state parks across four regions and roughly 290 staffers, “and 49 of those are commissioned, peace officers.” He told the committee the parks' biennial operating budget presented for review totals about $62 million and that roughly half is general fund, with the remainder from user fees and smaller sources. The request would increase permanent staffing to address expanded visitation seasons and increased law‑enforcement demand.

Why this matters: Committee members pressed on law enforcement coverage, technology costs and how to pay for a reservation system that was set up with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Markell told the panel that body cameras are not currently required for park rangers but that the division sees them as an “impartial witness” that documents scenes where officers may wait a long time for backup. The division requested approximately $154,000 annually for a camera service that includes storage and equipment replacement under a vendor model.

Key details and program elements

- Law enforcement and staffing: The division requested nine additional commissioned park positions (a park supervisor at Dayton and eight park ranger positions) and to make several seasonal positions permanent. Markell said remote parks can have lengthy response times from outside agencies and that “you can't cover that with two people.”

- Cameras and data: The request includes 45 body cameras (with extras held in reserve) and dash cameras plus a subscription‑style storage and management service. Markell said the subscription approach helps keep equipment current and avoids ownership‑maintenance burdens.

- Reservation system funding: The agency funded a new reservation system with ARPA dollars and splits reservation fees with its vendor. Markell said the ARPA funding is sunsetting and the department is asking for ongoing support to continue the reservation vendor, the reservation‑system manager position, and customer support until fee revenue stabilizes. He said the reservation approach is a hybrid model designed to keep user fees low while ensuring the vendor has an incentive to maintain uptime.

- User fees and payment policy: The division currently accepts electronic payments for day‑use reservations and park entrance fees. Markell told the committee a $5 reservation fee is charged at booking and that the day‑use entrance fee is $10 for in‑state vehicles or higher for non‑Nevada vehicles; he explained the agency generally avoids surcharging credit‑card users because different fees for cash versus cards complicate operations and encourage cash use at self‑pay kiosks.

- One‑time and capital requests: The division requested funding to replace dozens of aging vehicles (about 70 replacements listed), UTVs (10), excavators and skid steer tractors, mower and small equipment replacements, communications radios, and $5 million in deferred‑maintenance appropriations over the next biennium for park repairs and improvements.

Committee questions and responses

Committee members focused on operational details and policy design. Assemblymember Mosca asked how additional commissioned positions would affect law‑enforcement coverage; Markell explained staffing math for 24/7 coverage and remote sites. Senator Taylor and Assemblymember Hibbits pressed on camera policy, training and data retention; Markell said the agency's law‑enforcement training specialist is drafting policy and that vendor partners typically provide training on equipment and cloud retention schedules. On funding the reservation system, the chair said the committee expects follow‑up data after Sand Harbor completes a full season under the reservation model.

What was not decided

The committee did not take any formal votes during the presentation. Committee members signaled concerns about building ongoing general‑fund support for the reservation system before the division can show a full season of revenue from Sand Harbor.

Ending note

Markell closed by highlighting capital projects under development, including a new visitor center at Valley of Fire on track for fall and master‑planning work at Sand Harbor, and invited committee members to park events such as Cave Lake's grand reopening on June 7. He emphasized park staffing, aging infrastructure and increased visitation seasons as the primary drivers of the budget request.