Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition Hosts Event in Reno on Avi Kwa Ame

Reno, Nev. – The Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition (NVOBC) and Honor Avi Kwa Ame hosted a panel discussion and short film on the proposed Avi Kwa Ame national monument in southern Nevada. The effort to designate Nevada’s newest national monument is gaining momentum after a recent visit from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. 

“Protecting Avi Kwa Ame and other parks and public lands will create economic opportunities for people across Nevada and the nation,” said Meghan Wolf, founder and President of the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition. “A growing outdoor economy reflects the diverse values of our community.”

The panel featured Indigneous, sportspeople, and conservation leaders who shared their perspectives on the proposed Avi Kwa Ame national monument.  

“We use this land to continue to tell our stories, to ensure our children understand where they come from, and also in our regular, daily lives to provide food for our friends and family. The land is a living space; it is part of who we are and part of how we engage with our culture,” said Ashley Hemmers, Tribal Administrator of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. 

“Designating Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument will help connect wildlife habitat in the surrounding region so that bighorn sheep and other species can migrate to food and water safely,” said Russell Kuhlman, executive director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation. “Conserving and restoring wildlife habitat in the Avi Kwa Ame region means that Nevada’s wildlife heritage will thrive for future generations.”

At the event, NVOBC released a letter to Nevada’s congressional delegation from 105 businesses across the state in support for designation Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument. The letter notes:

The protection of Avi Kwa Ame (or Spirit Mountain) would provide continued access for recreational uses as well as OHV use and backcountry driving on existing designated roads, hunting, camping, hiking, exploring, wildlife photography and other activities.

We also believe that establishment of the Monument can be an important economic generator over time. Outdoor recreation businesses create diverse jobs, income, and opportunity in communities throughout Nevada and represent an important cornerstone of the State’s economy. 

Avi Kwa Ame spans nearly 450,000 acres, including petroglyphs, historic mining- and pioneer-era artifacts, and rare and threatened wildlife. The area is sacred to twelve tribes, including the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe who have been working to protect it for decades. Avi Kwa Ame is also a recreationists’ wonderland where people can experience the great outdoors – hiking, hunting, birding, star-gazing and more. 

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New Letter from 105 Businesses Supporting the Proposed National Monument

October 13, 2022

The Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto
United States Senate

The Honorable Jacky Rosen
United States Senate

The Honorable Dina Titus
United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Mark Amodei
United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Susie Lee
United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Steven Horsford
United States House of Representatives

Dear Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen and Representatives Titus, Amodei, Lee and Horsford:

As entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders of the outdoor recreation industry in Nevada, we support the designation of Avi Kwa Ame as a National Monument. The protection of Avi Kwa Ame (or Spirit Mountain) would provide continued access for recreational uses as well as OHV use and backcountry driving on existing designated roads, hunting, camping, hiking, exploring, wildlife photography and other activities. At the same time, the Monument would maintain the integrity of the visual resources. The viewscapes are outstanding, as are the dark night skies and natural quiet. It’s no wonder that the area is considered sacred to many Tribal nations and communities, and another reason that it must be protected.

We also believe that establishment of the Monument can be an important economic generator over time. Outdoor recreation businesses create diverse jobs, income, and opportunity in communities throughout Nevada and represent an important cornerstone of the State’s economy. Outdoor recreation ranks third in jobs sustained in Nevada, behind only gaming and tourism and healthcare. Statistics from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) indicate that outdoor recreation in Nevada directly and indirectly supports nearly 60,000 jobs in the state (3.1 percent of the entire labor force) and contributes more than $5.5 billion per year in statewide economic activity (3.1 percent of total).

The economic impact of areas such as Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Southern Nevada are impressive and still growing. The greatest value of natural amenities and recreational opportunities often lies in the ability of protected lands to attract and retain people, entrepreneurs, their businesses, and the growing number of retirees, who locate here to improve their quality of life. 

Public lands attract more than visitors; they also are a draw for entrepreneurs with a big vision. Red Rock Canyon, for example, inspired Jared Fisher, CEO of NVOBC members Escape Adventures and Las Vegas Cyclery, to create his adventure tour and cycling retail shops. The businesses started as a marketing project while Fisher and his wife Heather Fisher, Save Red Rock’s president, were seniors at UNLV, and have grown into mainstays of the Nevada outdoor recreation economy

“A national monument designation for Avi Kwa Ame will diversify outdoor recreation opportunities for locals and visitors in Southern Nevada,” said Jared Fisher, an NVOBC board advisor. “Along with outdoor adventure, Avi Kwa Ame allows people to appreciate Nevada’s historical places, significant to our Native Tribes and the western expansion of the United States, such as the Mojave Trail, the Garces Expedition, and Walking Box Ranch.”

Moreover, as Nevadans and tourists alike flock to the outdoors for respite, healing and strength, the creation of an Avi Kwa Ame national monument would provide another site and outlet for recreation. This could help lessen strain on other public lands and parks.

Support for Avi Kwa Ame’s national monument designation has poured in from the Boulder City Town Council, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, the Laughlin Town Advisory Board, the Las Vegas chapter of the International Dark Skies Association, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, and many others. In April of 2021, the Clark County Commission unanimously supported a resolution to support national efforts to conserve 30% of U.S. lands by 2030, submitted by Commissioner Justin Jones. Nevada Assemblywoman Cecelia González of District 16 championed a 30×30 resolution that was adopted by the Nevada Legislature that same month. Avi Kwa Ame is mentioned in the state resolution since its 380,000 acres will create a massive contiguous block of protected land critical to 30×30, an initiative with strong bipartisan support. This demonstrates the designation’s support among elected and business leaders throughout the state.

We, too, support the designation Avi Kwa Ame as a National Monument, as it will conserve important cultural sites, protect wildlife habitat, benefit our state’s economy, and secure the permanent protection of these lands for the benefit and enjoyment of Nevadans and visitors alike. We call on Nevada’s federal delegation and the White House to ensure permanent protections for this special place.

Sincerely,

The Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition

Members & Supporters

50 West Eats, Reno

Abbi Agency, Las Vegas & Reno

Adler & Villanueva, LLC, Carson City

Alta Alpina Cycling Club, Minden

American Alpine Institute, Las Vegas

Anne M. Creative Co., Blue Diamond

Artemis Adventure Tours, Henderson

Aktivly, Reno

Back Country Horsemen of Nevada, Reno, Ruby Valley & Mountain Springs

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers of Nevada, Reno

Bike Tahoe, Zephyr Cove

Bindlestiff Tours, Las Vegas

Michael P. Branch, Author, Reno

Bubala Law, Washoe Valley

Carson Valley Trails Association, Minden

Cathexes, Reno

CCMedia, Reno

Chukar Chasers, LLC, Reno

Coalition Snow, Reno

Commence Studio, Reno

Corporate Services of Nevada, Carson City

Cowboy Trail Rides, Las Vegas

Craft Beer & Wine, Reno

Cycle Vegas Bicycle Tours, Las Vegas

Demetras Law, Reno

Digital Stream Production, Las Vegas

Dillon Health, Las Vegas & Reno

Don J. Clark Group, Reno

Earthletes, Las Vegas

Elevated Water Sports / IV Boat Club, Incline Village

Elite Custom Adventures, Henderson

Emergency Room Collective, Las Vegas

Escape Adventures, Las Vegas

EXL Media, Incline Village

Fletcher & Lee Ltd., Reno

Forté PR, Las Vegas

Friends of Black Rock High Rock, Gerlach

Friends of Gold Butte, Mesquite

Friends of Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

Friends of Sloan Canyon, Henderson

Gaia Flowers, Las Vegas

Gear Hut, Reno

Get Outdoors Nevada, Las Vegas

Ghost Bikes, Las Vegas

Glacier Outdoor, Reno

Great Basin Institute, Reno & Las Vegas

Greene Forensic Accounting Solutions, Las Vegas

Guest Services, Inc., Henderson

High Fives Foundation, Lake Tahoe

Christopher C. Hock, DDS, Reno

David A. Hornbeck, Law Offices, Reno

Hoy Vallas Chrissinger, PC, Reno

Imbib Custom Brews, Reno & Sparks

Jeff Lock Nature Photography, Reno

Knit, Las Vegas

KRICO Productions, Las Vegas

Laughlin River Tours, Laughlin

Las Vegas Cyclery, Las Vegas

Laughing Planet, Reno

Lee Canyon, Las Vegas

LGA Architecture, Las Vegas

London Bridge Jet Boat Tours, Laughlin

Buddy Miller, Law Offices, Reno

Ms. Squaw Indian Handcrafts & Jewelry, Ely & McGill

Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe, Reno

Nevada Conservation League, Las Vegas & Reno

Nevada Offroad Association, Carson City

Nevada Outdoor School, Winnemucca & Elko

Nevada Outside Photography, Reno

Nevada Wildlife Federation, Reno

North American Embroidery, Reno

Patagonia, Reno

Peaks & Pedals Gear Exchange, Las Vegas

Shane Piccinini, Photographer, Reno

Pola Poke Bowls, Reno

Race178, Reno

RE Editorial Services, Las Vegas

Red Rock Audubon, Las Vegas

REI, Las Vegas, Henderson & Reno

Rocky River Adventure Center, Laughlin

Big Jim Sage Jr., Cowboy, Las Vegas

Save Red Rock, Blue Diamond

Ann Scarff, Real Estate Broker, Las Vegas

Brian Shapiro, Law Offices, Las Vegas

Sierra Nevada Journeys, Reno

Silver Sage Center for Family Medicine, Reno

Smith & Harmer, Carson City

Silver Stage Government Relations, Carson City

Southern Nevada Bicycle Coalition, Las Vegas

Southern Nevada Climbers Coalition, Las Vegas

Spirit of Nevada, Las Vegas

Star Village Coffee, Reno

Tahoe Timber, Reno

Tahoe Trail Bars, Reno

Take a Hike Vegas, Las Vegas

Tanner Law & Strategy Group, Reno

Tom Clark Solutions, Reno

Toiyabe Group, Reno

Trashy Trail Runners, Las Vegas & Reno

Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance, Reno

TTR Motorsports, Bullhead City, AZ

Vegas Hike Life, Las Vegas

WashoZephyr Consulting, Carson City

Wenzel Haus, Reno

Wild Ones Collective, Las Vegas