Wednesday, April 15, 1998 | 10:19 a.m.
EVERYONE wins under the new agreement between state and federal officials to protect rare and endangered species in the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area.
It is the first agreement of its kind in the nation because it protects so many different species. "We are learning to make the Endangered Species Act work in Nevada," Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said. Babbitt and Sen. Harry Reid on Monday visited the Spring Mountains, which encompass 316,000 square miles of mountain range 35 miles west of Las Vegas.
Bob Williams, field supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Reno, said the agreement will provide a safe haven for rare and sensitive creatures in the Spring Mountains while also permitting Las Vegans to visit the alpine recreational area.
Of the plants and animals protected in the Spring Mountains, 25 are not found anywhere else in the world. After Congress implements the agreement, the SUN's Mary Manning reports, it will become part of Clark County's multispecies plan to protect up to 83 plants, animals, insects, birds, fish and reptiles in the Las Vegas Valley.
"It is a bright beacon to reverse the intolerable trend of lost species that will affect us all," Lois Sagel, chairwoman of Citizens for the Spring Mountain Recreation Area, said. Sagel and other conservationists and recreationists were able to find common ground in arriving at a plan to protect 57 rare species of animals and plants in the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area.
People seeking to protect endangered species often get a bum rap as wanting to put animals and plants ahead of people. To be fair, some of the criticism has been justified because there have been efforts to place animals on an endangered species list even when there is insufficient evidence of such a claim.
Often in today's world, environmental policies are polarized. The media and interest groups often view these debates as pitting environmentalists against industry or recreationists vs. environmentalists. The reality is that most people don't have rigid ideologies when it comes to the environment. Most reasonable people believe a common ground can be reached so that future generations will be allowed to prosper economically, yet still enjoy the natural beauty surrounding them. The plan protecting the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area strikes that balance.
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