Recreation plans for Pahrump side of Mount Charleston to be unveiled

Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005 | 8:24 a.m.

The future of recreation on the western slopes of the Mount Charleston area will be discussed at a public meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today at Bob Rudd Community Center in Pahrump.

The West Side Master Plan project for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area will be presented and comments from the public will be gathered.

U.S. Forest Service staff will be available to explain the project, answer questions, and collect input about the project area.

Currently there are no developed recreation facilities on the west side of the Spring Mountains. In addition, Pahrump's population is dramatically increasing and recreation use is escalating on Pahrump's side of the Mount Charleston area.

In order to properly address these issues, the Forest Service is creating a master plan that will guide long-term decisions for recreation and resource management.

The West Side Master Plan is focusing on developing the appropriate recreation opportunities such as campgrounds, trails and picnic areas, while also protecting the natural and cultural resources.

The project area includes approximately 188,000 acres along the western slope of the Spring Mountain NRA. It's located east of State Route 160 and runs from Mount Stirling to Mount Potosi.

Lovell Canyon, Trout Canyon, the Wheeler Well area, and Carpenter Canyon are also included in the project area.

Monies from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act are funding the project.

For more information, call Beth Short at 839-5567.