Letter: Plan would restrict Nevadans from many parts of desert

Wednesday, June 10, 1998 | 9:53 a.m.

I have just read the conservation plan for the Paiute-Eldorado Valley Desert Wildlife Management Area from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (area south of Boulder City to Laughlin). The plan is to fence every paved road in the area (U.S. 95, SR-165, SR-164, SR-163) at a cost of $2.2 million. These are roads that access the Lake Mead Recreation Area. Therefore, there will be no access.

They want to buy private land, hire rangers and community liaison, close many roads; all at a cost of $1.650 million a year, and it will go up and up. To help pay for it, they plan on robbing the state parks' monies. No matter what they say, you and I will pay for it.

I find this a joke. My son goes to a school where there are not enough teachers. We have 33-plus kids in a class, not enough books or lockers, so our children have to share. Let's get our priorities straight. This plan was written with the help of the Nature Conservancy.

I did not know much about this group but, after reading the plan, I can see they are hell-bent on closing off the southern end of the state of Nevada. Their plan is to discourage additional BLM land sales in the area. Aren't we too crowded already?

Plus, this will drive up land prices. What's next? Expensive studies on dust and sound impacts on desert vegetation? They want to close it all off to noncompetitive off-road vehicle use, meaning your kids' mountain bikes and your jeeps.

If you love the desert like I do and want to have access to it, let them know. Write to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Nevada Division of Wildlife and elected officials before you are locked out of your land.

Kenny Freeman

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