Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is a Nevada state agency that focuses on the preservation and management of Nevada’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources. It is led by a director, and the position is currently held by Bradley Crowell. The agency is headquartered in Carson City, Nevada. One of its holdings is the South Fork Dam and Reservoir near Elko, Nevada. History. The department was established in 1957 and has been in operations ever since, although the agency experiences several changes throughout its years. In its year of  founding, only four departments existed: the division of water resources, state lands, forestry, as well as oil and gas conservation. By 1977, the oil and gas conservation division was changed into the mineral resources division, and five new divisions were also created: the division of state park, the division of conservation districts, the division of environmental protection, the division of water planning, and the division of historic preservation and archaeology. Of these nine divisions, eight of them (excluding the mineral resources division, which became the Nevada Division of Minerals), existed in the current structure of the department, although their names  have undergone some changes. Structure. The department includes the following eight divisions: Aside from its eight divisions, the DCNR also operates three standalone programs: The DCNR also manages the following commissions and councils: State Environmental Commission, State Conservation Commission, Board for Financing Water Projects, Well Drillers’ Advisory Board, Board to Review Petroleum Claims, State Land Use Planning Advisory Council, Sagebrush Ecosystem Council.