At first glance Southern Nevada is nothing more than a vast sun baked wasteland. However, those who take a second look are never disappointed. It's here in an area the size of the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Delaware combined where you'll find the nation's largest national recreation area (Lake Mead), the largest national wildlife refuge complex (Desert), the first national conservation area (Red Rock Canyon) and three of the four North American desert ecosystems. Life, culture, and history are just some of the rich resources of the public lands surrounding the Las Vegas Valley.
Southern Nevada is a living archive of over 10,000 years of human history, home to unique ecosystems and a lively assortment of outdoor activities. Ancient Bristlecone Pine trees at Mount Charleston, pre-historic human occupation sites at Sloan Canyon, the forested "oasis" of Spring Mountains, alkaline desert uplands and spring-fed wetlands, the largest contiguous block of habitat for desert bighorn sheep in the U.S., Moapa dace, razorback sucker and Ash Meadow's pupfish, bald eagles, desert tortoise, Las Vegas bear poppies and 25 other plants found nowhere else in the world, survive and thrive here. An abundance of recreational opportunities include kayaking, mountain biking, wildlife photography and horseback riding.
Unprecedented population growth with up to 5,000 new residents per month, urbanization throughout Clark County, coupled with
34 million annual visitors to Las Vegas have increased recreational use of public lands. This creates both opportunities and challenges for the agencies managing these lands.More visitors mean more opportunities to engage people in stewardship and volunteer projects. With Clark County being the 5th largest school district in the U.S., the opportunity to use wildlife refuges, parks and forests as classrooms to connect children with the natural world is endless. Connecting youth directly with natural and cultural resources increases understanding of their significant resources, and develops a stewardship ethic in these future leaders.
Enhanced stewardship is a key to overcoming the challenges that accompany increased discovery of the rich resources of the vast public lands in Southern Nevada. Challenges include litter, abandoned cars and other dumping in the desert, theft and vandalism of cultural resources, disturbance of fragile desert soils by illegal off-highway vehicle use, and the accidental introduction of exotic species into natural plant communities.
The four federal agencies that make up SNAP have created a new "culture of collaboration" to address these common threats. Fourteen teams of fish and wildlife scientists, archaeologists, law enforcement officers, educators, recreation planners, computer specialists and senior managers are reaching across agency boundaries and shaping new ways of caring for resources in Southern Nevada. They have engaged others to join with them by partnering with organizations such as Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, Southern Nevada Conservancy, Outside Las Vegas Foundation and the Public Lands Institute of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Funding for projects comes from grants, donations and special legislation. Several years after SNAP was formed, Conservation Initiatives were legislated as an addendum to the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. This event allowed the SNAP teams to submit nominations to secure significant funds to support specific SNAP programs. With this crucial assistance and using the collaborative process, SNAP and its partners work to ensure that the land, water and people of Southern Nevada continue to thrive in this treasured landscape. Explore SNAP projects in greater depth by downloading the PDF document: SNAP Overview of Accomplishments, December 2008.
