U.S. Forest Service faces balancing act between recreation and conservation

Friday, Nov. 11, 2005 | 8:14 a.m.

The delicate, often complicated balance between recreation and conservation is the prism through which the U.S. Forest Service views any project in the Spring Mountains.

Tim Short, U.S. Forest Service district ranger, said that for any proposal, the Forest Service goes through a required environmental review process that pulls in agency planners, resource specialists and others.

The intent of the process, Short said, is to "minimize adverse impacts and whenever possible, enhance environmental resources."

"We work to integrate the resource specialists, the biologists and so forth, with the planners," he said. "Our recreation projects ... have always had a key component that includes resources protection."

Short noted that the Forest Service recently eliminated a recreation vehicle campground on the Kyle Canyon side of Mount Charleston in an effort to better protect surrounding wildlife habitat. The agency is now planning the "middle Kyle Canyon complex" -- which will include recreation facilities and a new visitors center -- that also includes resource protection, he said.

The Forest Service also designates those roads and trails open to motorized vehicles in an effort to keep those vehicles out of environmentally sensitive areas, he said.

"A key objective is to protect the resources out there," he said.

Beth Moore, a Forest Service spokeswoman, said her agency is now gathering data for a "landscape assessment" that will analyze some of the inherent conflicts between recreation and resource conservation.

She said the Forest Service always seeks feedback from the community to better manage the Spring Mountains. Short agreed.

"We welcome people's input and feedback to help us better manage that area out there," Short said. "If there are changes that need to occur, we're happy to do that. We want to maintain open communication. We want to welcome constructive dialogue."

John Hiatt, the husband of Las Vegas environmental activist Hermi Hiatt and a well-known Las Vegas conservationist in his own right, said such communication is important.

"It's not really clear what the vision is for the NRA (national recreation area)," Hiatt said. "It all seems be focused on traffic for Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon right now. While the traffic situation is serious and needs some attention, we still need to be looking at the resources and what we need to do to conserve those resources.

"The focus of the local Forest Service is almost totally on recreation with no emphasis on conservation."

Launce Rake can be reached at 259-4127 or at lrake@lasvegassun.com.