Natural attractions provide a significant draw for visitors and residents.“Fourteen miles away we have Pyramid Lake, which is one of the top fly-fishing, large trout places to fish in the world,” Mayor McIntyre explains.“There are people that come from all over the world to fish this lake, and most of them stay in Fernley in motels and other accommodations.” The proximity to hiking trails throughout surrounding mountains adds to the outdoor recreation portfolio, supporting tourism revenue and workforce attraction. Fernley has institutionalized its tourism development through the Fernley Cultural and Tourism Authority, which reinvests tax revenues into community events. Marchant details the program’s success: “The city takes its revenues from the hotel motel taxes and reinvests it in the community to promote events like the Junior Rodeo and Girls Softball League tournaments. I believe they hosted nine last year and they planned 14 this year.” Community events anchor the city’s recreational calendar, with the Fourth of July celebration standing out as a regional attraction. “We have one of the longest running fireworks shows in Nevada where we have people from all different cities come out and participate and watch our fireworks,” Mayor McIntyre notes. Off-road racing venues, including tracks for dirt bike racing, complement the event portfolio. However, infrastructure gaps remain evident.“Right now, we have 14 parks, but we have not increased our parks since we incorporated in 2001,” the mayor acknowledges, highlighting ongoing infrastructure needs. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PRIORITIES Workforce development in emerging technology hubs requires coordinated partnerships between education, industry, and government, a model that has proven successful in regions like North Carolina’s 125 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 FERNLEY, NV
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