Senator-elect Catherine Cortez Masto names campaign manager Scott Fairchild as her chief of staff

State offering open space grants program

The Nevada Division of Forestry is accepting applications for grant money under the Community Forest and Open Space Program.

The program provides federal funding for the acquisition of private forest lands for public use. A spokesman said the community forests created provide space for recreation, protect habitat and water quality as well as offering environmental and cultural education.

Tribal and local governments as well as land trust organizations and other nonprofit conservation groups can apply for funding up to $400,000 on behalf of interested private landowners.

Eligibility requirements and instructions are available on line at http://forestry.nv.gov/grants/

The deadline to make application is 5 p.m., Jan. 13.

Masto names Senate staff

Senator-elect Catherine Cortez Masto has named her campaign manager Scott Fairchild as her chief of staff.

Before heading up Masto’s campaign, Fairchild worked as National Campaigns Director for the League of Conservation Voters.

In addition, she chose Laura Erickson Hatalsky, former policy director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committees as deputy chief of staff.

Zach Zaragoza, executive director of the Nevada State Democratic Party, was named state director and Rey Benitez as Communications Director.

Two inmates treated in fight at Carlin camp

Two were treated after a fight at the Carlin Conservation Camp that involved as many as 40 inmates.

A spokesman for the Department of Corrections said they had to call in the Nevada Highway Patrol, Carlin Police and Elko County sheriff’s deputies to break it up.

The two injured inmates, Oscar Barreras and Sergei Potoyan, were transported to Northern Nevada Regional Hospital in Elko where they were treated and released. Both are being moved to the Lovelock Correctional Center.

Director James Dzurenda said some 20 inmates who were involved are being transferred to higher security institutions. No staff were injured and there was no damage to the camp.

“For the inmates, it’s a privilege to be at a conservation camp where they are not housed in cells and they train to work as teams,” said Dzurenda. “From them we expect much better behavior.”

Conservation camps house minimum security inmates who help fight wildland fires and, during the off season, assist the community with snow removal, weed abatement and other jobs as needed.