Nearly $1 million in grants to boost tourism to rural Nevada was awarded by the Nevada Commission on Tourism this month.

Among the funded projects: the Comstock ATV Jamboree, a first-time special event in Dayton; Operation Sierra Storm, a Tahoe-area event geared to meteorologists who influence visitor travel; and the REMAX World Long Drive Championship in Mesquite.

Following is a sample of grant awards:

$8,000 to the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority to help bring back Operation Sierra Storm, a meteorology conference and seminar. Grant funding will offset some of the event costs.

$8,000 to the Dayton Valley Events Center/Lyon Country to promote a first-time special event, the Comstock ATV Jamboree. Grant money will be used to promote the event in print, online and broadcast media.

$5,000 to the city of Mesquite’s Athletics & Leisure Services department to offset costs to produce and show TV spots aired during the Golf Channel’s national broadcast of the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship.

$15,000 to the city of Carlin to expand television and radio advertising to promote three of the city’s summer events.

$7,000 to the Walker River Paiute Tribe to offset costs of a marketing campaign that will include promotional literature, new photography and signage.

$40,000 to Nevada Silver Trails — a nonprofit group that promotes travel to Southern Nevada, excluding the Las Vegas area — for 10 different radio advertising campaigns promoting special events in the Nevada Silver Trails region.

Grants are given to nonprofit entities, which in turn must provide a 50-50 match in funds or volunteer hours. NCOT reimburses applicants after the projects are completed and labor and funding details are documented.

NCOT, which receives three-eighths of 1 percent of room tax revenue as its operating budget, uses a part of its funds to offer the Rural Grants Program, which helps nonprofit groups and government agencies in rural Nevada enhance visitation and boost revenue from overnight stays.

NCOT awarded 145 grants in June for a total of $971,188.