UNR Cooperative Extension asks Elko County residents to join "Where We Live" study on drought and wildfire

Dr. Loretta Singletary, a University of Nevada Cooperative Extension faculty member, told the Elko County Board of Commissioners about a National Science Foundation-funded research project called "Where We Live" that aims to understand how rural communities are coping with drought, heat and wildfire risk.

"The focus of the project is to better understand the various ways rural communities are coping with drought, heat and wildfire," Singletary said, noting the study area is the Humboldt River Basin, which "includes Elko County and seven other counties." She described a short online survey (about five to seven minutes for most residents; longer for agricultural producers) and invited volunteers for 30-minute interviews to provide more detailed information.

Singletary said the project team includes extension specialists and an agricultural economist who will use the responses to estimate economic impacts on producers. She emphasized confidentiality: "We follow all rules established by the university ... there is no way we can track you" and interview records will be de-identified, she said.

Commissioners and extension-affiliated listeners asked whether the study overlaps with other surveys. Singletary acknowledged multiple ongoing efforts but said this project is distinct and specifically funded by the NSF with a focus on drought in Nevada. She said staff are exploring modest incentives to boost response rates and that the team hopes to return late winter or early spring to share summary findings.

The project team is soliciting participants from Elko, Spring Creek, and other basin communities and asked that interested residents use the QR code provided or contact the team via the emails on the slide deck.

The presentation concluded with an offer to come back with preliminary results if the project achieves sufficient participation.