Forever Earth - a floating environmental laboratory and learning center at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA)- is a community partnership between the Outside Las Vegas Foundation (OLVF); the National Park Service; and Forever Resorts, a park concession; together with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, other governmental organizations, universities, school districts, non-profit organizations, and private businesses.

The primary goal of Forever Earth is to help support and encourage needed environmental monitoring and study at Lake Mead that leads to improvement and protection of environmental conditions and enhanced understanding and learning by school groups, researchers, and the public.

The Forever Earth project consists of a specially designed and manufactured 70-foot houseboat, a research barge, and support vessels. The houseboat is equipped with a variety of lake equipment, computers, global positioning station, weather station, and other scientific instruments. The vessel's operation incorporates the latest of environmentally conscience technology.

The houseboat carries a full complement of safety and emergency equipment required by the National Park Service and U.S. Coast Guard. The houseboat's maximum capacity is 50 people and is equipped with marine radios and cellular phone to allow communication with the National Park Service dispatch center 24-hours per day as well as personal flotation devices. As part of the partnership, a captain is provided except where research groups have a certified operator. The houseboat will be harbored at Callville Bay Resort and available to agencies, organizations,researchers, educators an school groups for work that furthers the project's goal and purposes. The scheduling of the program will be handled by the Outside Las Vegas Foundation at 702-515-5125.

Forever Earth Operational Coordination - The UNLV Public Lands Institute provides overall operational coordination for the Forever Earth Program, including scheduling of the vessel. The Forever Earth Program Manager is Daphne Sewing. She can be reached at: (702) 895-5098 or by email at: daphne.sewing@ccmail.nevada.edu.

Forever Earth will serve four principle purposes:

Water Quality Monitoring - Given growing concern over water quality at Lake Mead, Forever Earth will be used for water-quality monitoring and associated research. The monitoring will be tied into the overall regional water-quality monitoring strategies associated with the Lake Mead Water Quality Forum and will address urban runoff, treated sewage discharges, visitor use and hydrocarbons associated with boat fuels. The monitoring will address both water quality and clarity, establishing long-term benchmark data so that changes can be understood and addressed over time. The houseboat will also include spill containment equipment to address any problems should they occur on the lake.

Science and Environmental Studies - Forever Earth will be used to help facilitate on-going and future research efforts at Lake Mead that lead to a better understanding of environmental processes and improvements to the health of the ecosystem. This research would also include cultural resource work such as archeological and paleontological surveys around the lake.

Environmental Education - Forever Earth provides an outstanding opportunity for learning by school groups of all ages. The environmental education programs on Forever Earth will complement traditional classroom studies by giving students authentic, experiential learning experiences. The laboratory and scientific equipment aboard will allow for direct student involvement. The learning objectives will be directly tied to the student's school curriculum and based on national, state and local standards for science, math, technology and social studies. Forever Earth will also include a "live cam" or real time video of where the vessel is located on the lake and what it is doing that would be available via internet to participating schools. Forever Earth is expected to receive significant media interest and its weather station and video capability may be incorporated as an element in local television programming.

Command Post - Forever Earth will be utilized as a command center for specialized activities such as major search and rescue operations, water safety demonstrations, visitor surveys and special events.