The Nevada Commission on Tourism has authorized $414,854 in grants for programs and activities designed to deliver more tourists to rural Nevada.

The Rural Grants Program funds are disbursed twice a year. This recent distribution is the second in fiscal year 2015; a total of $1.4 million was awarded in fiscal year 2015.

Among the funded projects:

· An $8,000 grant was approved for the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority to promote the Amgen professional women’s cycling race in May 2015. About 84 athletes are expected to compete in two races that will raise awareness of the destination through coverage on AEG Sports, the race producer. Grant applicants estimate the value of the media coverage of this event to be in excess of $200,000.

· A $10,000 grant was awarded to the Elko Regional Airport to advertise SkyWest air service to Elko from Salt Lake City in the Utah market.

· A $10,000 award was given to the White Pine Historic Railroad Foundation in Ely to create 20 webisodes about the Nevada Northern Railway that will be posted to the railway’s YouTube channel.

· An $8,000 award was granted to the Dam Short Film Society in Boulder City to promote the Dam Short Film Festival, which takes place in February 2015.

· A $6,500 grant was approved to Indian Territory, a nonprofit organization promoting tribal tourism, to hire a photographer to complete a comprehensive photo library of the state’s American Indian tourism destinations.

· A $3,800 award was granted to Nevada Silver Trails, a nonprofit group promoting tourism to the state’s central and southern rural areas, to create a brochure about attractions off the Highway 95 corridor between Reno and Las Vegas.