Nevada US-95/I-80 Regional Development Authority Co-Directors Michelle Hammond-Allen (right) and Heidi Lusby-Angvick (right) welcomed multiple speakers and community partners to the annual Nevada 95-80 Futures Forum, highlighting the major happenings in rural Nevada.
The annual Nevada 95-80 Futures Forum, hosted by the Nevada US-95/I-80 Regional Development Authority brought together a wide array of community stakeholders from both Humboldt and Pershing Counties to discuss the current economic development in the region and what the future looks like.
The event had five panels of speakers including Humboldt County officials, Pershing County officials, regional mining representatives, lithium mining representatives, energy and a speaker to discuss regional housing needs.
The annual Nevada 95-80 Futures Forum had updates regarding economic development for Humboldt and Pershing Counties. During the Pershing County economic outlook Grass Valley Advisory Board Member Linda Workman (left), Lovelock City Council Member and Lovelock High School Principal Jonathan Reynolds (middle), and Nevada US-95/I-80 Regional Development Authority Co-Director Heidi Lusby-Angvick (right) presented important current and future developments for the community.
Humboldt County Update
Hammond-Allen, Humboldt County Manager Dave Mendiola, Winnemucca City Manager Alica Heiser, Humboldt County School District Superintendent Dr. Dave Jensen, and Great Basin College (GBC) Winnemucca Campus Director Becky Coleman were present to speak for economic opportunities and development in Humboldt County.
Hammond-Allen explained that communication is key in economic development and noted how fast Humboldt County is growing and is going to grow in the future, comparing it to “managing a flood gate.”
“We are growing too fast but these companies are coming anyway,” she said, explaining the significance of the Futures Forum and how the partnerships formed between participants can help cultivate this growth and help it benefit the community.
Mendiola highlighted developments in the community and the diversification of the local economy with the County’s goals to improve public utilities, human services, and infrastructure.
Developments like a future wastewater treatment facility in the Grass Valley area and a new Buildings and Grounds Department facility are set to improve development in the County and prepare for growth.
“There’s no reason to leave anyone behind,” Mediola said.
Heiser also highlighted how the City has been able to improve the both essential and non-essential services in the community through the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the federal government.
She explained that the City was allocated approximately $10.4 million and has completed projects totaling around $7.8 million in efforts to maintain or improve local infrastructure.
Up and coming projects will also include “sprucing up” the Bridge Street area and more recreation opportunities like pickleball courts near the City-owned splash pad in East Winnemucca.
Dr. Jensen assured that despite the fast-paced growth the County is experiencing, that the School District is ready and able to accommodate more students, but encouraging and incentivizing current and future teachers is a challenge that has been felt nationally.
Maintaining a strong and positive program relationship with the local college and community partners will be important to the future of the community, as was explained by Coleman.
Coleman discussed improvements of the GBC campus that have taken place in the last few years that have greatly benefited students and the career and technical job force as well as the nursing community.
“Traditional higher [education] is changing,” she said.
Pershing County Update
Grass Valley Advisory Board Member Linda Workman , Lovelock City Council Member and Lovelock High School Principal Jonathan Reynolds, and Nevada US-95/I-80 Regional Development Authority Co-Director Heidi Lusby-Angvick were present to discuss updates for Pershing County.
Lusby-Angvick discussed broadband initiatives by the state that are allowing funding for broadband fiber to be constructed in the community and the development of a local industrial park.
Reynolds highlighted that the City of Lovelock has been focusing on revitalization and the purchase of new police cruisers and an emergency radio system with the use of local ARPA funds.
He also explained that Lovelock is set to have a Maverick constructed.
“We welcome business,” Reynolds said.
Workman, who plays a key role in helping build a family-oriented community in the Grass Valley area where Humboldt and Pershing Counties merge, said she wants to bring the communities together and would love to see some sort of market in the area for residents.
Regional Mining Update
Regional mining is strong according to Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist Sarah Edgar, President and Chief Operating Officer of i-80 Gold Matt Gili, General Manager of Florida Canyon Mine Greg Robinson, Coeur Rochester Senior Community relations Specialist Frankie Graham, and SSR Marigold Mine General Manager Anton Kruger who were present to represent the gold mining community.
Many of the regional gold mines are the largest private employers in the area and contribute in many ways to the communities’ of their employees—from schools to local businesses—giving back and being inclusive.
The representatives discussed operations and community developments, such as the new NGM Early Learning Center opening in Winnemucca through a partnership with the Winnemucca Boys & Girls Club on Nov. 1.
Lithium Loop
Representing lithium developments were HiTech Minerals Vice President of Exploration and Development Brett Marsh, Lithium Americas Community Relations Director Maria Anderson, Associate Professor & Economic Development specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno Buddy Borden, and Founder of Arc Dome Strategies/Executive Director of Nevada Battery Coalition Caleb Cage.
With northern Humboldt County having some of the largest deposits of lithium in the world and lithium mining making major investments into the communities through development and job creation, Humboldt and Pershing Counties are poised to help strengthen the critical minerals supply chains in the United States.
According to Anderson, Lithium Americas is continuing to make progress towards construction of their mine in Orovada, NV and has also partnered with the Humboldt County School District to build a new school in the community and the City to help support the infrastructure needed to provide temporary housing to the employees set to construct the new mine.
Marsh was able to provide an update about the other lithium mining interests located just across the Nevada/Oregon border in the McDermitt caldera and explained that although the permitting process to start mining lithium is extremely cumbersome and long, the interest in the area is strong and will continue.
Energy Resilience
Dan Hayes of Southwest Gas and NV Energy Director of Business Development Jeff Brigger represented energy developments in Pershing and Humboldt.
Southwest Gas has recently completed their new building, located in East Winnemucca, which has helped in hosting emergency training and is located to help them respond to customer service calls more promptly.
Both companies are working on projects set to help expand service to users and make critical changes towards renewable energy.
Hayes said that Southwest Gas is also working on an initiative through GBC to help
provide a program that could help students enter the energy transmission workforce.
Regional Housing Needs
Housing is as complex an issue as any that a community sees and Nevada Rural Housing (NRH) Director of Community Development Beth Dunning was present to explain how NRH is working to help combat the lack of housing that Pershing and Humboldt are experiencing.
According to Dunning, there is a broad spectrum of housing needs and the term “affordable housing” is relative to each community, with the communities both seeing a lack of housing for those that do not necessarily need assistance.
NRH has commissioned several market studies that allow them to address the cyclical housing ecosystem that can have many apparent needs that can only be filled by addressing unseen needs.
Dunning explained that a market study may find that an area is lacking appropriate senior living, which if addressed, can help free up homes as seniors choose to live in more appropriate housing that could be designed as a single story or with other accommodations. Then, families could move into the homes that the seniors move out of, thus filling an apparent gap (the need for more single family homes) and the unseen gaps (a lack of adequate senior living).
With plans to develop housing in south Winnemucca near their other developments (the Mountain View and Incline Village apartments), NRH is hoping to help begin addressing some of the needs for those looking for homes in the area.
“We need to understand the heart of the issue in order to address it,” said Dunning.