Editorial: Laws, not land swap, are better for canyon

Wednesday, April 23, 2003 | 9 a.m.

A high-profile story last year involved a developer's plan to buy the gypsum mine overlooking the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and build more than 8,000 homes. The plan failed for a well-publicized reason -- the Clark County Commission, responding to popular demand, refused to change the mine's rural zoning to allow such high-density development in such a scenic area.

Last month developer Jim Rhodes paid $54 million for the gypsum mine. Within days it was deja vu all over again, as Rhodes talked development and campaigned against a proposed county ordinance that would preserve the mine's low-density zoning.

The possibility of a land swap, which would allow Rhodes to give the 2,400-acre mine to the federal government in exchange for developable land elsewhere, is now being raised by a citizens panel dedicated to preserving Red Rock. There is a much better alternative, however. The county ordinance has been introduced and a state bill that would forever limit the mine to its current low-density zoning is advancing in the Legislature. Rhodes knew full well what he was buying. There is no reason for a bailout through the sacrifice of valuable public land when it appears the county and state are serious about protecting Red Rock through the force of law.