The 1 million acres of wildfire last summer are put out and the land rehabilitation is started. It’s an effort on several paths at the same time, as the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Department of Wildlife are taking point in this process as snow covers land that was in flames months ago. Other important elements in this process include a private fund-raising effort and recruitment of volunteers who will be busy in spring and fall months. The first task has started at many locations with drill and aerial seeding, which will help stabilize the soil as new plants begin to sprout and mature, said Mike Brown, public information officer of the BLM. He said that about 30,000 acres of the 165,000 acres scheduled for seeding has been completed. There is more seeding and planting scheduled for spring and fall as part of the long-term process. The BLM will be in charge of land rehabilitation on its federal public lands while NDOW, as a state agency, will direct the rehab process on other public lands, with the authority to also assist private land owners. It will be the NDOW’s responsibility to train leaders for a volunteer corps that will be available by spring for planting efforts and also next fall, according to the agency’s Elko education officer Joe Doucette when contacted during an aerial seeding mission this week. Another volunteer effort is the Wildfire Disaster Fund, spearheaded by Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, with an initial big boost from Pershing County Chukars Unlimited. Chris MacKenzie, chairman of the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners, put out a challenge early in September to the business, outdoor sports and mining communities, as well as other users of public land, to contribute to this fund. The BLM and NDOW are also allocating large budgets for this effort. Doucette estimates that NDOW has more than $700,000 currently allocated for rehabilitation ,mostly for seeding and habitat. He also said this is the most ever budgeted for such an effort. The BLM’s Brown said the budget for rehabilitation and watershed stabilization on public land is $12.9 million. More than $9.5 million has been spent already. The agency is trying to get more money for repairing and building cattle guards, fencing, and noxious weed control.

A strong storm system is expected to move into the region late tomorrow night and continue through Thursday evening. This storm is forecast to bring Widespread snow and strong winds to Northern and Central Nevada. Snow possibly mixed with rain below 500 feet is expected to develop north of interstate 80 late tomorrow night and move south through Thursday morning. Any rainfall is expected to change to snow by the afternoon and become heavy at times before tapering off to snow showers Thursday night.

President Bush has ordered federal agencies to close today, including Nevada National Guard facilities. U.S. mail service also will be suspended in memory of former President Gerald Ford. U.S. Bureau of Land Management offices in Nevada will be closed today. In Nevada, today will not be an official state holiday, and all state of Nevada offices will be open for business. State employees and state schools will observe regular schedules, as well. Flags throughout the state will fly at half staff.

The Great Basin College campuses will hold a seminar to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and to help advise them on ways they can afford college. Current college students and high school seniors are encouraged to attend. The event begins at 2PM on January 28th in the High Tech Center in the Winnemucca Center on Kluncy Canyon Road. The FAFSA is a mandatory step in securing financial aid. The federal government uses the application to determine students' and their parents' expected contribution and how much money they are eligible to receive toward their education. Financial aid can come in the form of need-based grants and federally backed student loans. Volunteers from the colleges' student services and academic affairs offices will be available to walk students and their parents through the forms. Lynn Mahlberg, GBC's vice president for student services, said the seminar will also connect students with the financial aid officers they'll be working with. College Goal Sunday is based on a program established by the Lumina Foundation for Education, a private foundation based in Indianapolis. It has been successfully implemented in Indiana, Arizona and now Nevada to help improve access to higher education. The state of Nevada applied for and received a $170,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation to host College Goal Sundays for the next three years, always either right before or after the Super Bowl. GBC's Mahlberg and Jeanne Rosenthal, GBC's grants coordinator, led the effort in Nevada. Mahlberg said students should apply for a personal identification number to fill out the FAFSA application online in advance by visiting www.pin.ed.gov, but students can also fill out a paper application at the sites. If under 23, students should bring their parents along with a copy of their 2005 income tax information for both student and parents. Students 24 and older only need their own tax information. For more information, visit the college Web site at www.gbcnv.edu and click on the College Goal Sunday link. In Winnemucca please call 623-4824.

The American Red Cross, Winnemucca Service Center would like to remind the community of the following meetings and classes: On January 10^th, All youth aged 7 years through 8^th grade are invited to attend the American Red Cross, Jr. Youth meeting beginning at 3pm in the French Ford Middle School. All Red Cross Youth are invited to attend. On January 11^th, All High School age youth are invited to attend the American Red Cross Leadership Meeting at 1145AM in the Lowry High School in Mrs. Mercado’s room. All Red Cross Youth are invited to attend. There is no cost to be a Red Cross Youth.

Your Winnemucca Weather today calls for mostly cloudy with winds from the southeast at 5 to 10 mph and a high of 43.