Please do not develop on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. This land has an abundance of value, with both cultural and natural history designated back in 1936.
The refuge is the desert bighorn sheep’s largest protected continuous habitat; taking this land away would displace a great amount of wildlife.
In addition to some thousand-year-old Joshua trees, the land was historically Western Shoshone land, and it would be a travesty to develop on this once-holy area.
Furthermore, bombing ranges have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. Due to the location of the refuge, we would be sacrificing a far greater range of our ecosystem.
Our state will receive no compensation or benefit by taking away this refuge. As a Nevadan, I enjoy this land for a variety of recreational uses, and the next generations deserve the chance to enjoy it too. Please do not throw away our precious resources.
Editor’s note: Although the House passed a bill that would protect the refuge, Congress has yet to pass a final version of the defense budget.