Making New Friends With REI
Last weekend on a sweltering Saturday morning, hundreds of people gathered outside of REI Boca Park in Las Vegas for a morning of shopping. The occasion was the seasonal REI Garage Sale, an REI Co-Op member sales event where pre-owned clothing and equipment can be purchased at lower prices. With crowds arriving two hours before doors open and customers entering the building in numbered groups, this was a great opportunity for Friends of Nevada Wilderness and other non-profit organizations to engage wilderness and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
Volunteers Celebrate National Trails Day
Every year on the first Saturday of June, hiking enthusiasts from across the country celebrate National Trails Day. The designated holiday gives organizations and individuals the opportunity to connect with local trails, raise awareness of trail issues, and enjoy time in nature. Friends of Nevada Wilderness' southern Nevada volunteers spent National Trails Day in Mt. Charleston Wilderness to complete much needed trail work on the popular Trail Canyon.
Public Lands Day Bill Passes Nevada State Legislature
Public lands and national monuments were well represented in the 2017 Session of the Nevada State Legislature. SB413, a bill sponsored by Senator Nicole Cannizzaro and that will designate a Public Lands Day in Nevada, was just signed into law by the Governor on June 1st. We'd like to thank everyone who spoke up for public lands, attended meetings, contacted their legislators, and overall made their voices heard!
Defend Nevada's National Monuments
National Monuments are under attack and need your help today! On April 26, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to eliminate or shrink national monuments that have been protected by our presidents in recent decades, including Gold Butte here in Nevada. This is an attack on Nevada's heritage and the iconic public lands that are critical to our economy and way of life. We have until June 10th, 2017 to make our voices heard that we support National Monuments!
Show Your Support for Public Lands Bills
Several pro public lands bills in the Nevada State Legislature will be receiving their committee hearing early next week on Monday and Tuesday. We need to show our state legislators that Nevadans LOVE our public lands and National Monuments!! We hope you join us in Carson City or Las Vegas to show up in support of our public lands!!
Public Land Bills Introduced in Nevada State Legislature
This past Monday - March 27th - was the last day for the Nevada state legislators to get their bills introduced in the Nevada State Legislature. More than 1,000 bills have been introduced in the 2017 Nevada state legislative session - a handful of these bills are directly related to public lands and conservation...both good and bad. We've put together a comprehensive summary of all of these bills, where we stand on them, and what you can do to take action.
Pro Public Lands Bill Lands in State Legislature
On March 20th, Nevada State Senator Nicole Cannizzaro and thirteen co-sponsors introduced SB413 in the Nevada State Legislature. SB143, if passed, would establish the last Saturday in September of each year as “Public Lands Day” in the State of Nevada and would require the Governor to issue annually a proclamation encouraging the observance of Public Lands Day.
Congress Threatens Public Input for BLM Lands
Americans are fortunate to own millions of acres of incredible public lands, many of which are overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). We all have a say in how these lands are managed through the ability to participate in a public process to develop land use plans. Last year, the BLM established a rule, Planning 2.0, that went into effect in January and provides additional opportunities for public input on how your lands are managed. But a resolution in Congress would undo this important step forward for the agency and the public by eliminating that rule. This resolution has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is headed for action in the Senate.
Pershing County Public Lands Bill Re-Introduced!
Today, Senator Heller re-introduced the Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2017 in the Senate (S. 414). Representatives Amodei and Titus quickly followed suit to re-introduce the House version of the bill (H.R. 1107). We applaud our members of the Nevada delegation who are working to advance this landmark bi-partisan legislation that will protect wilderness and wildlife habitat, provide needed economic development for local communities, and resolve long-standing public land issues within the County.
Gold Butte Public Forum with the BLM
The Bureau of Land Management scheduled a Public Information Forum in Mesquite, NV to talk about management of the Gold Butte National Monument. On Thursday evening, the BLM will give a quick presentation and then take questions from the audience during the two hour forum. Rumors are making their way around about the future of management in Gold Butte National Monument and this is a chance to set the record straight.
