FROM STATE TO ACQUIRE LAND FOR WILDLIFE WETLAND PRESERVE IN SPARKS

SPARKS, Nev. (July 16) – The Kiley Ranch Preservancy Foundation (the “Foundation”) announced today that it has acquired fee title to more than 200 acres of wetlands and uplands, plus 70 acre feet of allocated reclaim water for the creation of a special Wildlife Wetland Preserve located in the southern portion of Spanish Springs, one of the City of Sparks primary growth areas.  The Kiley Ranch North community lies to the west of the Preserve, Pioneer Meadows lies to the north, Vista Boulevard to the east and the Spanish Springs Flood Detention Dam lies to the south.

The Foundation received a generous grant from the State Question 1 Bond Fund in the amount of $1.7 million along with a matching donation from the Kiley family for the acquisition.

“Preserving this area is an important step in demonstrating the need to balance urban development with the preservation of natural wildlife habitats.  I hope this can serve as a model for other development within the region,” said Paul Curtis, president of the Foundation.  “Although still in the initial development and funding stages, we envision creating a visitor’s center, walking paths, bird viewing observation decks, interpretive signs and educational opportunities for the public, “ explained Curtis.
 

The Foundation will be the governing body of the Kiley Ranch Wildlife Wetland Preserve.  The 501(c) (3) not-for-profit foundation was founded in 2008 to acquire and manage the Preserve in order to protect and maintain the biodiversity of the natural resources, flora and fauna, and to provide environmental educational opportunities so that residents of the region can make informed decisions leading to respect for, and the enjoyment, conservation and responsible use of the natural systems.

 “The Kiley Ranch Preservancy Foundation demonstrated their strong commitment to preserving this valuable resource for the Spanish Springs Valley and worked diligently with State Lands and other agencies to ensure proper protection and management of these important wetlands in perpetuity,” stated Jim Lawrence, administrator of the Nevada Division of State Lands. 

A portion of the site has been identified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a suitable habitat for the endangered species known as the Carson Wandering Skipper (CWS). The CWS was identified within the boundary of the Preserve in the summer of 2005. Through site visits and close collaboration with the Foundation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers, all agreed that the proposed trails and observation areas are located in areas not thought to be harmful to the CWS habitat or the wetlands.

The Foundation hopes that the community will recognize the regional benefit of preserving this unusual resource.  The Foundation intends to create partnerships with business groups, government and other non-profit organizations to secure donations and to gain the support of community volunteers to help navigate the complex and exciting issues of maintaining the Preserve and its wildlife.

For more information about the Kiley Ranch Wildlife Wetland Preserve, log on to http://www.kileyranch.com/preservancy or contact Stacey Crowley, Vice President of the Foundation at scrowley@kileyranch.net or (775) 560-9228.

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It’s hard to believe the holiday season is upon us once again. For most of us, it is a time to celebrate the passing of another year with our friends and loved ones. We deck the halls with cheerful holiday decorations, exchange gifts, and eat way too much! The holiday season is also a time when many of us try to give back to our communities and those who are less fortunate in whatever way we can. In that same spirit of giving, Kiley Ranch will be participating in the Reno Rodeo Foundation Denim Drive this year. The Denim Drive collects new clothing items like socks, underwear and jeans for boys and girls ages 0-18 in protective custody in our community.

If you would like to donate items to the Reno Rodeo Denim Drive, you may drop them off at the Kiley Ranch Welcome Center located at 1000 Kiley Parkway, Sparks, NV 89436. The Welcome Center hours are Wednesday thru Sunday 10am-5pm, and the drive runs from Monday, November 24 thru Friday, December 19. For more information on the Denim Drive and additional drop-off locations visit the Reno Rodeo Foundation website.

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It was a fun and enlightening discussion on the various levels of going green. Young professiona’s engaged in discussion and asked some very poignant and timely questions. Here’s a brief recap of what was discussed.

City efforts include:

• Increase recycling programs in the city
• Rehab their existing City Hall to reduce energy usage by almost 50%
• Partner with other agencies to find incentives and rebates for green projects
• Continue to host the Green Summit and educate the public on ways to be green

The Glenn Group recently remodeled their office space and is now seeking LEED Silver certification for this amazing renovation. Valerie explained some of the unique things about the remodel including:

• Recycling or reusing demolished materials including carpet, drywall and doors
• Using products with recycled content like carpet tiles, systems, and furniture
• Energy efficient lighting and daylight sensors create a space that is 25 to 30% more energy efficient
• Increased worker satisfaction, carpooling and other green strategies

Craig, the Eco-broker, discussed the current housing market situation, highlighting the large number of available properties still on the market today. There are a few fairly simple things that a homeowner can do to increase the attractiveness of the home. In general updating the home with energy efficient appliances and fixtures, sealing drafts and replacing old windows with double or triple pane can great increase the energy efficiency. It can also just make the home more comfortable, whether you plan to sell or not.

The 2nd Annual Leadership Summit brought together over 300 Greater Reno-Tahoe business professionals to “Make the Grade” in their personal and professional lives. The packed agenda included:

• Networking with Educational and Youth non-profit organizations in our community as part of the Pebble Project
• Keynote speaker Darian Rodriguez Heyman, executive director of Craigslist Foundation who discussed social entrepreneurship and how young professionals can integrate theis non-profit work into corporate models
• Three breakout sessions which included: educational leadership, mentoring, and the green movement
• Reno Gazette Journal’s “20 Under 40″ Awards program followed by a cocktail reception

For more information on the Reno Tahoe Young Professionals Network, visit www.renotahoeypn.com

Stacey Crowley
Director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives, Kiley Ranch Communities

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Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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Once again, Kiley Ranch will hold its Fall Harvest Festival 10:00am to 2:00pm on October 18th at the Kiley Ranch Welcome Center. We will be partnering with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to collect food and monetary donations and in exchange, will be giving away free pumpkins. All we ask is that you give a $5 cash donation or five cans of food, and you’ll get a free pumpkin  while supplies last (one per child please). Come out and enjoy face painting, a farmers’ market, and activities and fun for the whole family. Can’t wait to see you there! For more information, please contact Alyssa Barnes at abarnes@kileyranch.net.

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August 27 kicks off the 20th Annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cookoff in Victorian Square in Sparks that will run through September 1.  In addition to all the glorious ribs and other tasty treats, there will be craft vendors, live entertainment, and activities for the whole family.  For more information, check out www.nuggetribcookoff.com.

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If you would like to get involved with the Kiley Ranch Food Bank Garden, feel free to email abarnes@kileyranch.net for more information.

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If you are a frequent reader of the Kiley Ranch blog, you have undoubtedly caught one of Stacey’s informative and insightful “Green Byte” posts. If not, you should definitely make it a point to read one or two…or ten.  You may not know that aside from serving as the Kiley Ranch Director of Environmental Initialtives, Stacey possesses many other qualities that make her an outstanding candidate to receive this honor.  Stacey sits on the board of the Nevada Land Conservancy, Scenic Nevada, Reno Tahoe Young Professionals’ Network, and the Kiley Ranch Preservancy Foundation. She was a 2005 Scenic Nevada “Hero”, won a 2007 “20 Under 40″ award, vice-chaired the Truckee Meadows Growth Task Force and chaired Nevada’s first Governor’s High Performance Building Summit. Stacey is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received a masters from the University of New Mexico. She is an architect, a LEED Accredited Professional, and is the Director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives for Kiley Ranch. She was an All-American swimmer in college but now spends her free time cycling and skiing with her husband, Tim.

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Each student was invited on stage to receive recognition certificates and proceeded to inform the audience about which university they would be attending, their education goals, and how they intended to use the Tony Armstrong Scholarship money.

Education outreach and community involvement is very important to Kiley Ranch Communities who also participates in the Education Collaborative of Washoe County. As education partners with Miguel Sepulveda Elementary School located on Ion Drive in the Spanish Springs Valley, Kiley Ranch Communities presented Principal Debbie Martino with a $500 donation check to be used towards the immediate needs for student education.

The luncheon speaker, Washoe County School District Superintendent Paul Dugan, spoke about the funding challenges the school district currently faces. He explained that a large percentage of the school district funds are derives from property taxes and local school support taxes. Washoe County School District continues to look for ways to maximize efficiency while trying to meet the community needs.

Kiley Ranch Communities congratulates this year’s scholarship recipients and wishes them continued success with their education goals!  

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