Responsible Administrator(s):
Responsible Office(s):
Originally Issued: January 2005

Statement of Purpose

In order to comply with federal, state, county, and local laws and regulations, UNLV requires its faculty, staff, and students to obtain any required permits and/or authorizations prior to using public lands for university or university related activities.

Reason for Policy

The UNLV community makes use of public lands for many organized activities that enhance the university's teaching, research, and service mission. It is the university's intent to ensure that such use is accomplished in a legal manner. Personal liability for the UNLV community member is minimized when requirements for obtaining public land permits are met. Potential institutional and/or personal liability of UNLV community members is minimized by compliance with requirements to obtain appropriate public land use permits and authorizations.

Entities Affected by this Policy

UNLV campus community

Who Should Read this Policy

  • Provost and Vice Presidents
  • Deans
  • Department Chairs
  • Directors
  • Faculty Members
  • Classified and Professional Support Staff
  • Research Assistants and Graduate Assistants

Policy

Introduction

The UNLV community at times has needs to access public lands for UNLV­ coordinated events. Public lands are managed and protected vigilantly by federal, state, and local government agencies. Whenever rules are defined, compliance is anticipated. The offices of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies have created a public lands permit program to assist faculty, staff, and students with legally accessing and using public lands for research and educational purposes or for any other organized UNLV activities.

Objectives

The basic objective of the Public Lands Permit Policy is to provide a simplified and efficient means to secure the permit(s) and to ensure all UNLV-coordinated educational or recreational usage on public land is accomplished in a legal manner.

Permit Process

A UNLV permit program officer has been appointed to work with the Associate Vice President for Research and Community Outreach and is housed in the Public Lands Institute. All requests for access onto public lands must be initiated through the Permit Program Officer. The public land agencies may require up to 180 days to process a permit or authorization. The permit program officer will provide the UNLV community with the necessary information and assistance to obtain the appropriate permit(s) or authorization(s).

Enforcement

Failure to comply with this policy or any of the public land agencies' policies may result in personal liability. There may be civil and/or criminal penalties assessed to the individual(s). UNLV will not indemnify the violator(s). Members of the university community who fail to comply with this policy may also be subject to disciplinary action.

Contacts

Definitions

Organized Activity

An official permit or authorization is required in advance for all UNLV­ coordinated organized activities that take place on public lands. An organized activity includes but is not limited to research, educational observations/activities, or UNLV-coordinated recreational uses such as biking, camping, touring, or picnicking on public lands by faculty, staff, or students.