“The Council this team will assist was created by my executive order and preventing the listing of the Greater Sage-grouse is an on-going effort of the utmost importance. I am confident that the collaborative nature of this team – bringing scientists and range managers together under one roof – will help address this critical issue and make this effort stronger.”
– Governor Brian Sandoval
Kathleen Steele
Program Manager
Kathleen Steele began with the State as a member of the Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team in 2017, helping the Program grow and develop as she worked with landowners and industry proponents to achieve mitigation conservation for Greater Sage Grouse in Nevada. Prior to that, she worked for the Great Basin Institute in Nevada, partnering with the Bureau of Land Management for five years as an Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring Technician, and eventually a Lead for Land Health Monitoring in Northern Nevada. In this position, she monitored public lands to gather information regarding ecological sites, use and grazing, sage grouse habitat quality, endangered native plant presence, and invasive plant movement. Steele has a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation and Management and a minor in Photography from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.
Sarah Hale
Technical Team - State Lands
Sarah Hale represents the Nevada Division of State Lands as an Environmental Scientist on the SETT. She holds a PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Arizona, a Master of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Mississippi State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Purdue University. She has had the opportunity to research and work with a variety of wildlife species, ranging from fire ants to prairie dogs to big-game species. She has also worked in a variety of professional roles, so understands different perspectives and enjoys an open, collaborative approach to ecosystem conservation. Before joining the SETT, she worked as an area game biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, where she became intimately familiar with Nevada’s sagebrush ecosystem, the species that rely upon it, and the challenges they face.
Justin Lambert
Technical Team - Forestry/Wildland Fire
Justin Lambert represents the Nevada Division of Forestry as
a Conservation Staff Specialist. His background is an eclectic collection of
experiences working throughout the American West in rangeland ecosystems that
has informed his holistic view of habitat management. He believes that
conservation is not a one-size-fits-all approach but rather requires creative
and collective action based on a multitude of perspectives. Prior to joining
the SETT, he conducted ecological monitoring in eastern Nevada and biological
research in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah for Great Basin Institute. He’s worked
with agricultural producers as a ranch hand in Teasdale, Utah and as a Private
Lands Wildlife Biologist with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies in eastern
Colorado concentrating on the Conservation Reserve Program. His work has
focused on a variety of species and habitats including grassland birds, bighorn
sheep, mountain lion, and Mexican spotted owl. He holds a Master of Natural
Resources from University of Idaho, a Bachelor of Arts from College of
Charleston in South Carolina, and four technical certificates in natural
resources from Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Cheyenne Acevedo
Technical Team - Wildlife
Cheyenne Acevedo is a Wildlife Staff Specialist representing
the Nevada Department of Wildlife. She has a background in ecology and utilizes
statistics and Bayesian Hierarchical modeling to understand species population
dynamics to improve wildlife management and conservation. She holds a Bachelor
of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Biology with a minor in
Statistics, as well as a Master of Science in Natural Resources and
Environmental Science from the University of Nevada, Reno. During her graduate
research, she focused on understanding the reasons behind the Greater Sage
Grouse population decline in Nevada. Her work involved developing a novel
dynamic spatio-temporal statistical model within a Bayesian hierarchical
framework to identify the main drivers contributing to the decline. Cheyenne
has spent several years collecting data in remote and rugged areas across
Nevada. Before joining the SETT, she worked as a NDOW Wildlife Diversity
Biologist responsible for preserving, managing, and studying non-game wildlife
species in Northwest Nevada. She used habitat-based conservation planning,
sound science, and innovative, collaborative partnerships to protect and manage
healthy populations of hundreds of Nevada’s wildlife species, including those
that are at-risk and sensitive.
Skyler Monaghan
Technical Team - Agriculture
Skyler Monaghan represents the Nevada Department of Agriculture as an Environmental Scientist on the SETT. He holds a Bachelors in Biological Sciences from Arizona State University. Skyler believes that protecting the natural environment not only has meaningful impact to wildlife but can be a valuable tool to support sustainable rangeland management practices throughout the state. Prior to working with the SETT, he was a program and outreach coordinator at the Tahoe Fund, specializing in Program management, as well as collaboration with state, local, and federal agencies. In his time at the Carson Valley Conservation District, he managed day-to-day operations of the noxious weeds program, along with implementation of conservation projects that focused on riparian area restoration on rivers in the Carson Valley.