LAS VEGAS – The National Park Service has released its draft wilderness management plan and environmental assessment for eight of the nine wilderness areas located wholly or partially within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Public comment will be accepted through May 14, 2010.
Park staff will be available at three informational open houses being held next week.
Tuesday, Apr. 20
3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Laughlin Public Library
2840 South Needles Hwy.
Laughlin, NV 89029
Wednesday, Apr. 21
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Lake Mead Headquarters
601 Nevada Way
Boulder City, NV 89005
Thursday, Apr. 22
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Downtown Recreation Center
105 West Basic Rd.
Henderson, NV 89105
This draft plan proposes several changes in how the eight wilderness areas are managed. Three alternatives have been developed that vary primarily in the level of public access and degree of management. The proposed changes address access and visitor distribution, visitor information services, and resource conditions.
Three of these areas have portions that are located on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and these areas are included as part of this draft plan. Because the majority of the wilderness area is within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the National Park Service has taken the lead in the planning process. The plan will guide both agencies in the administration of these wilderness areas.
The wilderness study and recommendation process began in 1974, when the National Park Service completed an initial wilderness review of all lands within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. At that time, 409,000 acres were proposed for wilderness. The 1986 General Management Plan for the park identified 558,675 acres as meeting the criteria. These areas were subsequently managed to ensure no actions being taken would diminish their wilderness suitability, pending action by Congress. In 2002, the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act was signed into law. This act designated 18 wilderness areas in Clark County, Nevada, as part of the national wilderness preservation system.
The draft plan is available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lake.
Please provide us your comments by May 14, 2010. Comments may be mailed to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005, submitted online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lake or at one of the informational open houses.
