The Mount Stirling are was first recognized for its natural resources in December 1907 when it was included with the Sheep Range as part of the Vegas Forest Reserve.  These protections, however, were stripped in 1918 when the area was removed from the Forest Service.  Once again, the natural habitat and wildlife importance of Mount Stirling was reiterated in 1936 when it was included in the original boundaries of the Desert Game Range (today’s Desert National Wildlife Refuge). This protection was removed with the passage of Public Land Order 4079 in 1966. Today this wild land still offers the natural habitat it was recognized for in 1936, which is an important resource rapidly diminishing under the pressure of Southern Nevada growth and development. The Stirling Mountain Wilderness Study Area was first identified and protected in 1980 (for information about the conservation history of Mount Stirling, see the Additional Resources Tab on the left).

The Stirling Mountain complex is the traditional home of the Western Shoshone, Southern Paiute, and Chemehuevi Paiute people. Two large petroglyph sites, and remnants of a pine nut milling site provide a glimpse into the deep Native American history of the region.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness commitment to stewardship of wild areas includes working with managing agencies and partner organizations, to assure that areas are regularly monitored, ecological impacts are rehabilitated, and vehicular incursions into wilderness are closed and the damage is restored.