Editorial: Fitting way to end a senator’s tenure

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2000 | 10:12 a.m.

It was a long shot when Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., introduced legislation earlier this year to protect at least 600,000 acres of historic and environmentally sensitive land in Northern Nevada. But with the help of Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., Bryan and other conservation stalwarts received their wish Friday when Congress approved the creation of a national conservation area in the Black Rock Desert.

In addition to the protection of wildlife, the preservation of historic emigrant trails will allow visitors to view them in the same condition as they were during the 1840s, when pioneers traveled west to California. This last-minute, but well-considered decision of the 106th Congress will be remembered fondly by countless generations of Nevadans to come.

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