Some scenic areas in trouble

Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006 | 7:07 a.m.

Financial and political neglect are threatening some of Southern Nevada's most prized natural places, a statewide conservation group says.

Scenic Nevada, an affiliate of the national nonprofit group Scenic America, listed four Clark County sites among 13 places statewide "at risk of being lost due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy."

The sites in Clark County are Mount Charleston, the town and area at the top of the Spring Mountain range; the Upper Las Vegas Wash, about 12,000 acres of arroyos and rare plant and animal habitat adjacent to the urban area; the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, the 198,000-acre federally managed area west of the city; and Flat Top Mesa, a mountainous area outside of Mesquite.

Charles Ragusa, Scenic Nevada's director-at-large, said Monday the organization started a search last spring for "last chance" scenic places that were at risk of losing their distinctive character or natural beauty. This was the first time the organization had drawn up such a list in Nevada, and it was intended to spotlight one or two places in the Silver State.

"We were fortunate enough to hear from people all over the state, and we were really impressed with their concern and commitment to save some of these special areas," Ragusa said. "We decided to bring attention to all 13 places."

The goal is to influence policymakers, other groups and organizations and government agencies to help preserve these places, he said.

"We have a wide range of interests that are being exhibited here, and we are happy with that," Ragusa said. "Not one niche, one group, one concern there are so many areas throughout our state that are under threat of being lost."

The group doesn't suggest specific proposals on how to protect the 13 areas it listed in its catalog of "last chance" places. Ragusa said because the areas are different - ranging from a historic cemetery in Reno to a wildlife refuge on the Oregon-Nevada state line - the remedies that governments or individuals apply to the threatened areas will also be different.

Becky Grismanauskas, chairwoman of the Mount Charleston Town Advisory Board, said Scenic Nevada's designation will aid efforts to control the visitors who flock to the alpine setting, especially after winter snowstorms.

"It will do nothing but benefit Mount Charleston," said Grismanauskas, who nominated the mountain for inclusion in the Scenic Nevada list. "We can use this designation in getting legislative help."

Grismanauskas said it's not clear how mountain traffic could be controlled, but one tactic could be to require cars making the drive from Las Vegas on snowy days to have a parking permit. Such permits are used to limit traffic in other states with alpine areas, she said.

She said the increasing traffic up the mountain is also raising the danger of fire, a pressing issue for the isolated community.

Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, a community activist and Scenic Nevada board member, was one of two Clark County residents who nominated Red Rock Canyon for inclusion on the list. She said the recreation area is threatened because a major road, State Route 159, cuts through the middle of it.

The Scenic Nevada designation may prompt other groups, government agencies and individuals to discuss public policy to help protect the recreation area, she said.

"It's a way for us to let all those entities know this is important, this is an important place to Southern Nevadans," Mayo-DeRiso said.

Ragusa said a book describing the 13 places will go to government agencies, organizations and policymakers in December. The program is based on the national Scenic America's Last Chance Landscape listing of scenic areas threatened by development, population pressures or other factors.