Purpose of Public Land Permitting Program
The public land permits program assists faculty, staff, and students with legally accessing and using public lands for research and educational purposes or for any other organized UNLV activity. UNLV works very closely with the four federal land management agencies to provide efficient permitting service while heightening awareness of the laws governing the uses of federal public lands and the personal liabilities associated with use.
Obtaining a Public Land Permit for a UNLV-Sponsored Activity
A permit is required for all organized activities that occur on public lands. An organized activity includes but is not limited to research, educational observations/activities, and UNLV-coordinated recreational uses such as hiking, camping, touring, or picnicking on public land by faculty, staff, or students. Contact Kevin Bergeron before accessing public lands for any UNLV-sponsored activity.
If you need to request a permit or have questions regarding access to public lands, please fill out the request form. The information you provide will be reviewed, and Kevin will be in contact with you within one business day. Our goal is to help you access the public lands while being mindful of the legal regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial entities (which include universities) are required by law to obtain a permit for activities held on public lands.
The Permit Program is a service to all members of the UNLV campus in the pursuit of a public land use permit. It serves as a single point of contact for UNLV members to communicate with the federal agencies who have jurisdiction over the land. Using this service will save you time and frustration in obtaining a permit. Be aware that if you enter these lands without a permit as a UNLV group you may be personally liable.
A permit is required by anyone needing to use public lands for a UNLV coordinated or organized activity. This use includes research, research specimen collection on public land, field trips, or any UNLV recreational activity. Be aware that if you engage in such activities as a group without a permit, you may be held personally liable for engaging in an unauthorized activity on public lands. You also will be in violation of UNLV policy.
These permits represent permission to be on the land for a specific activity. Bear in mind that other permits may be necessary. For example, if you intend to collect wildlife specimens, then you would need a Nevada Department of Wildlife collection permit in addition to the land use permit.
Start the permit process by emailing landpermits@unlv.edu.
Please feel free to contact:
Kevin Bergeron
Please provide a brief description of the activity and be prepared to answer the following questions:
- Where are you going? (a map of the area is needed when making a request)
- What activity are you doing?
- When do you want to go?
- Who will be going? Who is leading or in charge of the excursion?
- How many people will be involved?
- Why are you accessing this land?
The process can vary between agencies, but all agencies want the same information.
Email inquiries to landpermits@unlv.edu.
No permits are required for reconnaissance. Recon is for the purposes of reviewing an area to obtain more information and see if it is suitable for your research or visit.
Depending on your activity, the average is two to three weeks. Field trips on established trails have a fairly quick turn-around time. Permits for research activities that involve disturbing areas and collecting specimens take longer, possibly up to 6 months. Each agency has its own timeframe.
Yes. When a permit application is requested, a map of where you are going needs to be included. Please include coordinates (UTM, GPS, Township/Range/Section).
Once it is ready, your permit will be mailed, faxed or emailed to you.
Sometimes it can. For example, if the field trip is on BLM lands and is exactly the same as the previous trip, they may offer an extension.