A Day Of Celebration At Logandale Trails

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Federal, state, and local agencies came together last week to celebrate the achievement of a long-time goal. Representatives from the BLM, Nevada State Parks, Partners in Conservation, and many other agencies, with gold-painted shovels in hand, officially broke ground for a new restroom complex at Logandale Trails. The new facilities will replace the old, outdated restrooms located at the main trailhead, as well as the lower restrooms located on the trails.

Although the actual construction start date is still a few weeks out, the groundbreaking was a celebration for many reasons. Due to the high cost of the project, Elise McAllister, PIC Administrator, worked with several agencies while writing grants to cover the project. She was able to obtain enough combined funds from the Nevada OHV Commission, the BLM, NV State Parks, and the Rec Trail Program, as well as other local and non-profit agencies, to allow both sets of restrooms to be replaced.

Greg McKay, Chairman of the NV OHV Commission came from Incline Village to enjoy the festivities. “The Logandale Trails Restroom project is a wonder,” he said. “Many agencies came together to leverage funds to build it. It is an example for the state on how to do things right.”

The event drew leaders from agencies all over Nevada. After the ceremonial groundbreaking, many spoke on how encouraging this project was for the future.
“The use for this area has grown from very few 25 years ago when these facilities were built, to over 200,000 people a year,” said Gail Marrs-Smith, Field Manager for the Las Vegas BLM office. “It is a fantastic area. Who wouldn’t want to come here?”

Janice Keillor came from Carson City to represent the State Recreational Trails program. She said, “It’s amazing how fast this project has come together. It is so exciting to see such a recent project getting off the ground so quickly.”
A great portion of the project was actually funded by the NV State OHV Commission using funds generated through OHV registration fees. A relatively new program, the revenue from registration is earmarked to go back into improving trails and riding experiences for ATV riders. Logandale Trails is the first physical project to be approved using this money and the event was used to promote ATV registration.
“This is the part of the job I love,” said Jenny Scanland, NV State OHV Commission Executive Secretary. “This is what it’s all about-getting the money from Nevada residents back on the ground for people to enjoy.”

McKay echoed her sentiments, saying, “Thank you to all the people who buy their ATV stickers and become part of the solution and not the problem.”
McAllister received special recognition for her part in pulling state, federal, and local agencies together to work toward a common goal. She was hailed for specializing in such “legacy projects” or projects that would be around far into the future for people to enjoy. Although all other groundbreakers had to turn their golden shovels back in after the ceremony, McAllister was presented with hers to keep in recognition of the “golden asset” she is to the community.

McAllister was grateful for everyone who came. Although she appreciated the support from the agencies that attended the ceremony, she especially recognized the families and groups that came to witness the celebration. Independent local riders joined with groups from Vegas Valley OHV and Mesquite ATV clubs, Moapa Valley Rotary, and others to show their support.
“Thank you to everyone that came, especially those families that came out,” McAllister said. “Families are really what it’s all about.”

A light lunch was served after the groundbreaking, followed by a tour of the trails for all those who were interested.
McAllister was pleased with how the day went. “We had an awesome turnout,” she said. “I’m very grateful for everyone that came. It just shows how much people care about the area. It’s nice to see that the people that use this area are the ones that come back and take care of it.”

Bob Adams, President of Kokopelli ATV club agreed. “We are happy to be here supporting PIC today,” he said. “We come help with clean-ups or whatever is needed. It’s exciting to come support anything that makes it better for people to enjoy outdoor stuff.”

Josie Gerken, 10, from Las Vegas, perhaps summed up the day best, saying, “I love to come here. It’s quiet and it’s beautiful.”