WEEKEND EDITION
April 23 - 24, 2005
I'm writing in regard to Nancy Hall's April 20 letter on protecting the Gold Butte area. Much of this area is already protected by the Bureau of Land Management as an area of critical environmental concern, and the rest is protected by National Park Service rangers.
Gold Butte was studied in 2003 for designation as a wilderness area, but it did not meet the criteria. There is a wilderness area just across the state line.
Hall talks of off-highway travel in the area that spreads noxious weeds. Off-highway travel is already illegal in the area of Gold Butte that is in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
With off-highway use a part of more than 90 percent of outdoor activity, it makes no sense to close Nevada to off-highway use.
Are we trying to protect Nevada for us or from us?
KENNY FREEMAN
Editor's note: The writer is past president of the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts club.
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