Originally published in Sierra Sun Times
Las Vegas, NV – On Saturday, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Nevada’s Congressional Democratic Delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum urging him not to roll back designations of national monuments.
The Delegation raised concerns about a recent order by Secretary Burgum initiating a 15-day review of possible impediments, including national monuments, to accessing natural resources, including oil and gas.
“We urge the administration to refrain from attempts to unilaterally alter lands with existing national monument designations, as we’ve seen previously at Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante,” the Delegation said in the letter.
“Decisions to protect these treasured lands were not made on a whim,” they continued. “They were the result of intense engagements with tribes, community leaders, and local businesses. While Congress reserves the authority to revoke or adjust national monuments, any future action by your department should be a result of the same level of outreach and public engagement.”
The letter is supported by the following organizations: Conservation Lands Foundation; Friends of Avi Kwa Ame; Friends of Basin and Range National Monument; Friends of Gold Butte; Friends of Nevada Wilderness; Friends of Sloan Canyon; Native Voters Alliance Nevada; Nevada Conservation League; Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition; and Save Red Rock.
In recent years, Basin & Range, Gold Butte, and Avi Kwa Ame have been designated as national monuments in Nevada and have been a boon to the state’s $8 billion outdoor recreation economy. The letter came in response to Secretarial Order 3418, specifically Section 4c which initiated a 15-day review of national monuments and mineral withdrawals.
Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen are champions for Nevada’s great outdoor spaces and public lands. They passed critical legislation to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects public lands in Nevada and across the U.S. They passed bipartisan, bicameral legislation to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, and they delivered critical funding to protect Lake Tahoe in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Cortez Masto has introduced legislation to ban oil and gas development in Nevada’s beautiful and pristine Ruby Mountains.
Source: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
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NATIONAL MONUMENTS PROTECT COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES
The NVOBC is disappointed in the "Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act" introduced by Rep Mark Amodei (NV-02) and Rep Celeste Maloy (UT-02).
The proposed legislation would strip presidential authority to designate national monuments, which would in turn damage economic opportunity for outdoor recreation communities. It is a gross misconception that public land limits economic opportunity- A report from Headwaters Economics shows the consistent improvement of local economies in communities with National Monuments.
"The study found no evidence that designating these national monuments prevented economic growth. Instead, trends in key economic indicators such as population, employment, personal income, and per capita income either continued or improved in each of the regions surrounding the national monuments."
-The Economic Importance of National Monuments to Communities
The NVOBC urges Representatives Amodei and Maloy to reconsider the effect this legislation will have on rural and outdoor communities.
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2 years ago, @POTUS signed the biggest climate investment in history - and it's working! It's boosting outdoor recreation, creating good jobs, improving public health, & cutting climate pollution! Let's continue to build on these achievements! #ClimateWinsHere #OutdoorRecreation
Lee Canyon opens downhill mountain bike park for summer, fall seasons https://news3lv.com/features/arc-las-vegas/lee-canyon-opens-downhill-mountain-bike-park-for-summer-fall-seasons
Starting this Friday, May 24th Lee Canyon will be transitioning to our summer hours... Open 7 days a week from 10a to 6p!