Protection of environment critical to proposal

Friday, June 1, 2001 | 10:21 a.m.

A proposal by Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign for a new federal land-use bill for Southern Nevada is, for now, just that: a proposal.

But the two sketched out some of the elements that would be included in a final package after bringing together constituents who are sometimes at odds over land uses.

One component emphasized by both senators is environmental protection, in regard to both human recreation and wildlife.

"Having the local environmentalists at the table is so important ... actually critical to getting this legislation passed," Ensign said. "This bill will have the wilderness in it. The environmental community will join us."

Ensign said the environmental community has the clout in Washington, D.C., to block the bill or guarantee passage.

The environmental focus would be on "wilderness study areas" now under the federal Bureau of Land Management's purview. The bill could transform those study areas into permanently protected wilderness.

Mark Morse, BLM field manager for Southern Nevada, said his agency now has about 20 such areas. The actual studies were finished years ago, he said, but resolution of their final designation hasn't come.

Although the senators spoke on the need for development, environmentalists said they were pleased with the emphasis on environmental protection.

"I don't think it was negative at all," said environmental activist and chairman of the Enterprise Town Advisory Board John Hiatt. The board advises County commissioners on land use issues.