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Gold Butte Makes Headlines
Gold Butte has been making front page headlines lately...and for good reason! Last month, we partnered with KEEN Footwear on their Live Monumental campaign, a nationwide movement advocating for the protection of 3 million acres of public land, including Gold Butte.
Las Vegas was the first stop on the KEEN road trip and Zappos.com graciously hosted the Live Monumental party. Hundreds of Gold Butte supporters came to sign the Live Monumental petition, meet fellow activists, and hear why Gold Butte deserves permanent protection from a variety of speakers. Friends of Nevada Wilderness would like to thank KEEN Footwear for partnering with us on this exciting campaign, the Zappos.com family for hosting the event, and to everyone who came out and signed the petition. We'd also like to thank the following organizations - Friends of Gold Butte, the Sierra Club, and Battle Born Progress - who helped us put on the event, as well as the esteemed panel of speakers who addressed the crowd:
Darren Daboda, Chairman of the Moapa Band of Paiutes
Las Vegas City Councilman, Ricki Barlow
Las Vegas City Councilman Isaac Barron
Nevada State Assemblyman Elliot Anderson
Mike Naft, from Congresswoman Dina Titus' office
Brad Tomm, Sustainability Manager of Zappos.com
Kirsten Blackburn, KEEN Effect Team of KEEN Footwear
 Following the Live Monumental event, staff from Friends of Nevada Wilderness took employees from KEEN and Zappos out on a guided full moon hike in Gold Butte with our partner organization Friends of Gold Butte.
After a wild night under the stars in Gold Butte, Kurt and Shevawn from Friends got on the Live Monumental bus to help KEEN take the Gold Butte campaign to the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, Utah. KEEN dedicated more than half of their booth to the Live Monumental campaign, as well as hosted a Live Monumental party for OR goers across the street from the pavilion - where a building-sized Gold Butte banner hung...talk about getting the word out!
Although the Live Monumental campaign highlighted the positive aspects of the campaign, a report documenting extensive damage in the Gold Butte area was recently released which highlights the urgent need to gain permanent protection. Friends of Gold Butte released the report, which includes photographs and descriptions of trespass near cultural and historic sites as well as harm to sensitive desert areas that are habitat for threatened and endangered species. The report even prompted the Chairman of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, Darren Daboda, to comment and later publish an oped calling for protection of Gold Butte, “We are deeply dismayed at the extent of destruction that has occurred in this sacred landscape." Read the full report here. Take Action: Sign our petition.
Give Back on National Public Lands Day
 National Public Lands Day is right around the corner...sign up today!
On September 26th, thousands of volunteers across the country will participate in the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands and you can join them! Friends of Nevada Wilderness invites you to lend a hand for your public lands and give back to the wonderful places you love 365 days a year. We have projects planned for both Northern and Southern Nevada and would love to have you and your family join us to experience a slice of wild Nevada while helping to restore damaged areas. Click here to view the dates and information for our National Public Lands Day events for both Northern and Southern Nevada
National Wilderness Month
To honor the 51st Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, President Barack Obama recently proclaimed the month of September as National Wilderness Month to reaffirm the importance of wilderness to the American spirit:
"During National Wilderness Month, let us recommit to preserving the places that remind us of who we are and of all that our Nation is. Let us renew our resolve to protect America's incomparable natural splendor in our time so it can endure as a birthright of every citizen and shape the lives and dreams of generations to come."
In the proclamation, President Obama also briefly touched on the Department of Interior's recent "Every Kid in a Park" initiative which will provide every fourth grader and their family free admission to National Parks, as well as emphasized the need to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund which is due to expire later this month (to read more about the Land and Water Conservation Fund and what you can do to help, click here). We commend the President for dedicating an entire month to wilderness, for expressing the need to continue to protect the places we love, and for acknowledging the importance of getting kids outside to experience wilderness for themselves. Read the full proclamation here.
Check It Out: New Blog!
As the stewardship season continues with volunteers achieving incredible accomplishments on-the-ground and as our wilderness campaigns gain new milestones and supporters, there's plenty of exciting stories to be told.
Which is why we're inviting you to check out our new blog! Follow us on Tumblr, bookmark the page, or follow our social media pages to be notified when new posts are uploaded.
Let us know if there are particular stories you'd like to read about or if you'd ever like to contribute. E-mail Shevawn at [email protected].
South
Sept 15: Spring Monitoring Database Training You've been collecting the spring monitoring data...now learn how you can enter that information all in one database! Join us if you've participated in spring monitoring already or are interested in getting involved in the future. For more information and to RSVP, click here. Sept 19: Rainbow Mtn Wilderness Restoration Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness in Rainbow Mountain Wilderness! We’re going to be repairing areas of illegal trespass near Mountain Springs, an historic and prehistoric site, using hand tools like pick-mattocks and shovels. Get more info and RSVP here! Sept. 26: National Public Lands Day - Rainbow Mtn Wilderness Celebrate National Public Lands Day with Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the U.S. Forest Service! We will be back at it in Mountain Springs to restore and prevent vehicle trespasses into Rainbow Mountain Wilderness that are damaging sensitive cultural resources. RSVP today. Oct 1: Wild Speaker Series October's installment of the Wild Speaker Series will feature Professor of Geology, Dr. Shroba, who will discuss tectonic events that have shaped Nevada through geologic time. Join us to learn more about what the rocks can tell us! Let us know you're coming here!
Save the Date:
Nov. 13: Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Las Vegas
North
September 25-27: National Public Lands Day - Black Rock Desert NCA Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness for National Public Lands Day, the largest service day in the nation dedicated to giving back to public lands. We'll be partnering with the Winnemucca District BLM, Nevada Outdoor School, and Friends of Black Rock to head out to the Black Rock Desert, just outside Trego Hot Springs to clean up at the base of Old Razorback mountain. Special activities planned for the weekend including a Kids' Camp, a Dutch Oven cook-off, and swimming! Bring the entire family - read more and RSVP today!
October 9-11: Easy Pass Installation If you love hiking through aspens, enjoying amazing vistas, using hand tools, and relishing in the satisfaction of a job well done then we have just the project for you. Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness in the beautiful Santa Rosa Mountains and help us install an Easy Pass gate to help keep cattle in their range, while letting people easily move through. This is a strenuous project. For more info and to RSVP, click here.
Save the Date:
Nov. 6: Wild Nevada Calendar Release Party, Sparks
Dec. 4: Wilderness Wingding, Reno
For a complete list of upcoming events, click here.
Become a Member Today
"Philanthropy is the rent we pay for the joy and privilege we have for our space on this earth" - Jerold Panas
Become a member of Friends of Nevada Wilderness and support clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for people to get out and enjoy the wonders of nature. Your generous donation will go towards getting volunteers on the ground in wilderness areas, advocating for keeping public lands in public hands, and providing critical protection for Nevada's wilderness areas. Membership levels begin at $25 per year.
Job and Volunteer Opportunities with Our Partner Organizations
Two of our partner organizations have some amazing job and volunteer opportunities open right now for those who love the outdoors and working with kids. The After-School All-Stars based in Las Vegas, NV is hiring! They are looking for an after-school instructor for their Lifetime Adventures program. The position would help expose youth to the outdoors and their Lifetime Adventures curriculum. If you love the outdoors, enjoy hiking, and can relate well to students - this job might be for you! For more information on the position and how to apply, click here.Great Basin Outdoor School are seeking young adults to volunteer as a cabin leader at Lake Tahoe with fifth or sixth grade students. They are now taking applications to help during the following days: Sept. 29-Oct. 2 or Oct. 19-22. This is a great opportunity for those seeking experience in the natural resources or educational fields. High school absences can be pre-arranged and excused as school business. For more information, click here.
Follow us!
There's a lot going on in Wild Nevada and monthly e-newsletters aren't enough to keep up with it all. Head on over to our social media pages to get all the latest news, favorite photos from wild places, giveaways, and more.
     
Thanks for reading,
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