NDOW moves boating-safety education back to Conservation Education; program expands on-water classes

The Nevada Department of Wildlife told the joint subcommittees it plans to shift the Boating Safety Enforcement Education Program from the Law Enforcement Division back to the Conservation Education Division, where it originally resided. Alan Jene said the change will put boating instruction alongside NDOW's other education and public-information programs.

Aaron Meyer, NDOW's statewide boating education coordinator, said the transfer has enabled the program to scale up volunteer recruitment, buy paddle-sport equipment for regions and begin offering on-the-water kayak- and paddle-sport classes. "Right now, the majority of the classes are in Southern Nevada," Meyer said. "As far as the number, if you're talking just, boating education, we're right around 2,500 to 3,000, which is significantly higher than it used to be."

Meyer described plans to work with the American Canoe Association to certify additional staff as kayak instructors and to expand multi-hour on-water classes and wildlife-focused paddling tours. He said pairing boating safety with hunting and angler education allows the department to reach broader audiences and to deploy volunteer networks run out of the Conservation Education Division.

Director Jene and deputy staff said the transfer will move two positions and related operating costs and travel back to Conservation Education (decision unit E900). Committee members asked how the department will distribute on-water offerings across regions and whether staff rotation or staggered attendance at conferences could reduce travel costs; NDOW said it will prioritize and rotate staff attendance as budgets require.

No formal committee action was taken; legislators asked for further detail on program rollout and regional expansion plans.