Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thank You for visiting the Nevada State Clearinghouse website. Below is a listing of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the Nevada State Clearinghouse. If you have any other questions or need additional information about the Clearinghouse please contact us at nevadaclearinghouse@lands.nv.gov or (775) 684-2723. 

1) What is the Nevada State Clearinghouse? 

Authorized by gubernatorial executive order in 1989, the Nevada State Clearinghouse, within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, exists to inform Executive Branch agencies of significant federal projects and policy initiatives that affect our state. The Clearinghouse has Memorandums of Understanding with Federal agencies to ensure that the consultation requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are met. The Clearinghouse ensures that pertinent State agencies and other local governments are notified about the projects and then provides their comments back to the federal agencies to help facilitate the consultation process.

2) What is NEPA? 

President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) into law on January 1, 1970. Congress enacted NEPA to establish a national policy for the environment and is intended to ensure that Federal agencies consider the significant environmental consequences of their proposed actions and inform the public about their decision making. NEPA was the first major environmental law in the United States and the law requires Federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed major Federal actions prior to making decisions. For more information about NEPA and how to get involved in the process please see the Council on Environmental Quality's "A Citizens Guide to NEPA" publication. 

3) What is the difference between a Notice and an Informational Record? 

As a service, the Nevada State Clearinghouse posts both Notices and an Informational Records on the website as a way to inform State agencies, local governments, Tribal Governments, interested stakeholders, and the public significant federal projects and natural resource issues that affect Nevada. Notices are projects and proposals that are related to specific NEPA actions in Nevada. The Clearinghouse will send out Notices to its distribution list for review and will collect comments received by State Agencies, other interested stakeholders and the public. After the comments are collected, the Clearinghouse will submit all of the comments received to the appropriate agency associated with the NEPA action. Informational Records are general documents, agency press releases, and decision notifications that related to natural resource and land management issues . The Clearinghouse does not send out for review or accept comments for Informational Records.

4) What do all these acronyms mean? 

Like most laws, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has generated a specialized terminology, consisting mostly of acronyms and it can get pretty confusing. On the Nevada State Clearinghouse website, we will use acronyms in the title of Notices and Informational Records as a way to better describe the project or issue that is posted. Admittedly, the use of all these acronyms can get very confusing so to help with this we have created a Glossary of NEPA Terms which lists out commonly used acronyms aphetically. 

5) How can I submit a comment on a Notice? 

There are two ways to submit comments on a Notice that has been posted to the Nevada State Clearinghouse. The first way is to submit a comment through the website by clicking on the "Comment" button next to the notice. Comments submitted through the website will be submitted directly to the Nevada State Clearinghouse and included with the other comments received through the Clearinghouse on this project. The second way is to sign up for Clearinghouse Distribution List and receive a direct email notifying you that the Notice has been posted. In the email there will be a direct link where you can submit your comments on the Notice to the Clearinghouse.  

6) What happens after I submit my comment to the Clearinghouse?

After you submit a comment to the Nevada State Clearinghouse it is reviewed by program staff and then compiled with the other comments that have been received for that Notice. After comment deadline has ended, the Nevada State Clearinghouse will forward to the appropriate agency all off the comments that were received during the comment period. 

7) How are Notices and Informational Records posted on the Clearinghouse by year?

Both Notices and Informational Records are posed on Clearinghouse are organized by Fiscal Year July 1st to June 30. On the recent Notices and Informational Records page only the Notices and Informational Records for the past 30 days are displayed on the page. To find past Notices and Informational Records, scroll to the bottom of each section and click on an individual year under the "Click year to view Notice record archives" section on the page. To search all Notices and Informational records, click on the "All" link. 

8) Who can sign up for the Clearinghouse Distribution List and how do I sign up?

As a service the Nevada State Clearinghouse maintains a email distribution list that allows anyone from a State agency, Tribal Government, Local Government, interested stakeholder, or the general public to receive notification of a new Notice posted on the Clearinghouse website. There is no cost to join the Clearinghouse Distribution List and the list is available to anyone. To sign up for the Clearinghouse Distribution List click here, and when prompted enter your email address. Signing up is a two part process. The first step is to provide your email address in the field provided below. The second step will be to click the link in the email we send to you. This link will allow you to provide us with information about yourself, including your notification preferences. You will be able to manage your preferences at anytime. The Clearinghouse Distribution List allows you to sign up to receive an email notification on the type of Notice that is posted, the particular county that is is located in, and by keywords. After joining the Clearinghouse Distribution List you can update your email preferences at anytime and you can also unsubscribe to receive emails all together at any time. 

9) I no longer want to receive emails from the Nevada State Clearinghouse, how do I get off the Clearinghouse Distribution List?

After joining the Clearinghouse Distribution List you can also unsubscribe to receive emails at any time. To remove be removed from the Clearinghouse Distribution List please click here, enter your email and then select the "send email button". At the top of Manage Distribution Settings page under the contact information there will be a "Remove from all distribution" feature, click on this feature and change it from no to yes. After the feature has been changed to yes scroll down to the bottom of the page and in the bottom right hand corner of the page click on the save preferences button. After you click this button you will receive a confirmation message that your preferences have been updated and you will not longer receive emails from the Nevada State Clearinghouse?

10) How can I get my project posted on the Nevada State Clearinghouse? 

As a service the Nevada State Clearinghouse will post NEPA proposals for review and collect comments received from State Agencies, interested stakeholders, and the general public. If you have a NEPA proposal, project, general information record that you would like to post on the Nevada State Clearinghouse please email it to the notice to nevadaclearinghouse@lands.nv.gov with a brief description and the comment deadline. You can also mail a notice to Nevada State Clearinghouse. Attn: Scott Carey. Nevada Division of State Lands. 901 S. Stewart St, Ste 5003. Carson City, NV 89701-5246.