By Vernon Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley Town Advisory Board (MVTAB), at a meeting held Wednesday, September 14, adopted two separate measures requesting a loosening of restrictions on public lands.

The first measure before the board was a resolution which had, in previous weeks, been adopted by the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber had worked with Partners in Conservation (PIC) administrator Elise McAllister in drafting a resolution which would emphasize the need to allow the public lands surrounding the community to be better utilized to increase local commerce.

“In the past, many local families and individuals traditionally made their living in finding economic opportunities out on our public lands,” McAllister explained to the MVTAB. “The Chamber expressed an interest in working with our Congressional delegates in creating a new generation of economic opportunities on public lands here. They adopted this resolution just recently.”

McAllister explained that she was bringing the same resolution to the MVTAB, with slight alterations, for possible approval in order to send an even stronger message to the Congressional delegation on the matter.

The resolution began by acknowledging the extended economic slowdown that has been afflicting the Moapa Valley community in recent years. It also stated that “current regulations and restrictions at all levels of government discourage entrepreneurs, businessmen and investors” from attempting to start businesses in the community and on its surrounding public lands. The resolution then expresses support for legislation that will ease restrictions and allow new economic opportunities on public land.

“The aim is to encourage people to be creative and to be entrepreneurial on public lands,” McAllister said. “That is done by opening things up and making the process less laborious to get through the red tape. We believe that would help both existing business as well as encourage new business to the area.”

McAllister said that once she had begun thinking about doors that might be opened through easing public lands restrictions, that she came up with quite a few.

“One that especially came to mind was Overton Beach,” she said. “Even though the water levels came down, there was a lot of infrastructure there that would attract a tourism-based business if it was given a chance.”

MVTAB Chairwoman Judy Metz agreed. “In the decision to close Overton Beach, (the Park Service) was only looking at the Lake water levels,” she said. “Once the water was low it wasn’t worth pursuing for them. But there is a lot more to that area than the water. There is significant demand here for R.V. spaces and for trailer village spots that could be supplied by a small business there if they had just allowed it to stay open.”

Metz made a motion to adopt the proposed resolution and it was approved with a unanimous vote.

The second measure was a letter from the board to U.S. Representative Joe Heck regarding the federally designated wilderness areas in southern Nevada. The letter was drafted by McAllister pursuant to a previous request of the board on this matter.

McAllister reminded the board that the original idea for the letter had been a response to a recent instance in which Dept. of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had urged members of Congress to nominate areas in their states that they felt were worthy of a new wilderness designation.

“He expressed a desire to compile all of these recommendations into a new omnibus lands bill to present to Congress this fall,” McAllister said. “You’ll remember that you felt this was an opportunity for the town board to reiterate your past positions on these matters.”

First, the letter makes it clear to Rep. Heck that the MVTAB “does not support wilderness designation of any kind and strongly requests that (he) forward no recommendations to the Secretary”. It also points to the fact that the BLM has not identified any lands in northeast Clark County as having true wilderness characteristics.

Next, the letter requests that several adjustments be made to areas designated in the 2002 Wilderness Act.

First among these was the Virgin Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA) which, the letter reminds, “has been extensively used by humans for over 100 years and…does not contain wilderness characteristics, per the BLM’s own documentation”.

The Million Hills WSA is also mentioned as an area which should be released. “This area is rich in minerals and therefore should be studied for possible mineral extraction which would benefit the local economies and our nation,” the letter stated.

The letter also voiced support for bills that would transfer the power to establish National Monuments back over to Congress with input from the state legislature and governor of the state where a monument is being proposed.

“Designating monuments is an unchecked presidential power which should be restored to Congress,” the letter stated. “States must have a say in how public land is managed; the federal government is too far removed from those living next to such lands and the states must be involved in this process.”

Finally, the letter recognizes the need for the City of Mesquite to have an amended bill clarifying some public land issues in its area. “We therefore request that you support such bills,” the letter instructs, “AS LONG AS these bills do not contain language designating any portion of the Gold Butte Complex as an NCA, monument or wilderness.”

Metz made a motion that the letter be adopted and sent to Rep. Heck. The motion was approved with a unanimous vote.