NRS527.200. State Forester Firewarden may eradicate forest pests upon failure of owner after notice; costs of eradication constitute lien; collection of costs.

      1.  If an owner fails to take appropriate measures to destroy forest pests on the owner’s property within 30 days after the service of notice to do so as provided in NRS 527.180, the State Forester may, without further notice, take such action as the State Forester deems necessary to effect control measures to eradicate the forest pests upon the land.

      2.  The cost of any such control measures may be paid from the Division of Forestry Account, but the costs, or such portion thereof as the State Forester may determine, is a lien on all land of the owner within the zone of infestation.

      3.  The State Forester, subject to the approval of the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, may apply, on such basis as the State Forester deems equitable, any money made available to the department by the Federal Government, by the State or by any public or private agency for the purpose of controlling forest pests to defray all or any portion of the cost of control measures effected on privately owned lands.

      4.  Upon completion of control measures on any privately owned lands, the State Forester shall file with the board of county commissioners of the county or counties in which the lands are located an itemized and sworn statement setting forth the date when the work was done, the nature of the work and the portion of the cost thereof not defrayed by money made available under subsection 3 and chargeable to each owner upon whose lands the work was performed. The board of county commissioners shall thereupon present a bill to each owner for the costs payable by the owner, and if the owner fails for 30 days thereafter to pay the bill, it and costs must be collected in the manner in which delinquent taxes are collected.

      (Added to NRS by 1957, 636; A 1965, 333; 1969, 487; 1977, 1167; 1987, 424)