Tourism grants awarded to rural communities

The Nevada Commission on Tourism has awarded $200,000 to 16 rural Nevada communities for projects designed to help attract visitors and stimulate local economies.

Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt said the funding is designed to help with tourism-building projects those rural areas might not otherwise be able to afford. She described them as an investment in the tourism potential of picturesque areas of the state which offer "excellent outdoor adventure and colorful history."

Fallon received two grants: $10,000 to build observation facilities at Stillwater Point, including a boardwalk trail enabling visitors to walk into the marsh, and $8,300 for "Welcome to Fallon" signs on Highway 50. Yerington will get $5,550 to paint the exterior of the Lyon County Visitors Center and Hawthorne $9,992 to design and build two kiosks providing visitor information about local history and points of interest.

The biggest grant on the list is $40,000 to Lovelock for "Lovers Lock" - an area for promoting Lovelock as a place to "lock your love."

- Staff report