Greetings from the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources (CABNR) and the Director of Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station.

The agricultural food industry is one of the largest national and international industries, employing more than 20 percent of our nation's work force. The primary goal of our college is to educate people for professional careers in this industry.

CABNR's mission is to support humanity's capability for dealing with the environment. Central to this mission is the protection, utilization and management of the soil, water, air, plant and animal resources, the economic vitality of the agriculture industry, the development and implementation of technologies, and the quality of the environment. Of equal importance is a concern for the proper utilization of food in promoting healthier diets for man, as well as the social and economic well-being of individuals, families and society.

Now is the time to gather our resources and to focus them on some of our most obvious researchable issues relating to the interface of agricultural and natural resource management. Many of these issues are important to both Nevada's rural and urban dwellers. Such issues as rangeland restoration, multiple use of public lands, rural economic development, wildfire control, invasive weed management, grazing management of both domestic and wildlife populations, alternative crops, low water use agriculture, human nutrition and families all raise multiple questions to be answered through aggressive and well-planned research. With our federal, state and private partners, CABNR has an exciting task ahead. As we enter the coming years, there has never been a better time, or a greater opportunity, to successfully address many of these questions.

Thank you,
Dr. David G. Thawley, Dean & Director