Started by a passionate group of educators and public lands advocates in 2003, Friends of Sloan Canyon now provides community support and educational resources that enhance the conservation, protection and public enjoyment of Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
The Bureau of Land Management is implementing its management plan for Sloan Canyon NCA, and in 2015 we entered into a partnership with them to support stewardship and interpretive activities. We're currently working on the following activities and initiatives:
Staffing the Visitor Contact Station
We organize volunteer members of the community to staff the information desk at Sloan Canyon NCA's Visitor Contact Station, adjoining the Inspirada community in Henderson. Info Desk volunteers provide information to visitors on trail conditions & access points and encourage safe and responsible recreation practices.
Trail Monitoring and Maintenance
With increased use comes increased responsibility in conservation and protection. We're taking efforts to ensure our trails and access points are well maintained, unobstructed and as least-impacted by human presence as possible by coordinating varous trail monitoring and maintenance programs. In coordination with the Bureau of Land Management we organize trail crews to do lite trail maintenance, restore impacted landscapes, and remove trash from the trail and illegal dump sites.
Community Outreach
We take stewardship and recreation information directly to the community throughout Clark County with information stations at various community events. You may see us waving maps and volunteer information sheets at you at farmers markets, local civic centers, and trailheads.
Interpretive & Educational Programs
We promote and present interpretive programs such as topical guided hikes, wildlife and wildflower viewing excursions, backyard astronomy programs, and more. This includes supporting rangers in the classroom, helping gather resources and assistants for K-12 programs such as Every Kid Outdoors. We're also supporting the public lands community by acting as a fiscal sponsor for the new Friends of Walking Box Ranch as they organize to support interpretive programming at Southern Nevada's historic Walking Box Ranch, near Searchlight, Nevada.
Board of Directors
Jim Stanger
A burned out information technology professional of over 25 years, Jim transitioned into the nonprofit world and now works as the Development Manager of Southern Nevada Conservancy. Early on after moving to Las Vegas, his love of the outdoors and desire to pursue community service got him seeking opportunities to get involved in outdoor conservation and stewardship efforts. With experience under his belt working with a few local conservation groups, he joined the FSC board in 2014 and became the Board President in 2015. Jim is an avid stargazer and facilitates a handful of backyard astronomy programs throughout the year.
Alan O'Neill
Alan O’Neill brings over 50 years of experience managing and advocating for public lands. O’Neill worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior for 34 years, much of it with the National Park Service serving as Superintendent of Lake Mead National Recreation Area from August 1987 until September 2000. He spent the next 10 years serving as the founder and Executive Director of the Outside Las Vegas Foundation, now called Get Outdoors Nevada. After a short stint as Director of Content for eParkGuide he is now a private contractor and volunteer focusing on eco-tourism, public lands, and trails.
Mary Kaplan
Mary Kaplan is FSC's Board Secretary. A native of southern Nevada, Mary grew up near the Sloan township while it was a small mining town. With decades of experience as an educator, Mary assists with FSC's community outreach efforts, encouraging children to learn about and respect their public lands.
Ron Safran
N. Ron Safran is FSC’s Volunteer Lead. Ron graduated with a B.A. degree in Political Science from UCLA in 1972. Thereafter, he graduated from Southwestern School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 1976. Then he entered the private practice of law from 1976 until 2014. Mr. Safran moved to Henderson, NV, adjacent to Sloan Canyon NCA, in July, 2017 after his wife of 45 years passed away. At that time his son, Jeffrey Safran, was the principal GIS scientist for the Bureau of Land Management and the co-creator of and instructor in the BLM UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle or drone) program, known as Fly BLM. Jeffrey, knowing about his dad’s love for the outdoors, hiking and desire to contribute his time and efforts on a volunteer basis to conservation, directed him to Sloan Canyon, NCA. Mr. Safran started volunteering at Sloan in October, 2017.
Kevin Duscha
Kevin is a retired submariner and nuclear propulsion engineer, first as an officer of the US Navy then in the private sector. In New York, he served for 6 years on the board of the Empire State Aerosciences Museum, assisting in fundraising and execution of the local annual air show. Upon retirement, he and his wife moved here to Henderson, partly due to the ability to pursue outdoor recreation year-around and numerous local public lands. From speaking to rangers and volunteers sparked an interest in contributing to the efforts to make the Sloan Canyon NCA an enduring part of the Southern Nevada experience. Kevin looks forward to being able to help sustain and improve public lands experiences for all.