Walker Lake And Mt. Charleston

Walker Lake And Mt. Charleston 05-18-05

In sessions past we have acted as a legislature to protect some of the natural treasures of the state - we have created state parks, we have drawn a ring around Red rock, we have created an advisory board for Tahoe and appropriated millions to protect it.

Two areas that are treasures which have been woefully overlooked however are Walker Lake and Mt. Charleston. Because policy affecting these areas has been controlled largely by the federal government, the state has tended to abrogate itsresponsibility and oversight in these areas. This is most unfortunate and needs to be corrected.

That's why I am proposing an interim study focusing primarily
on these two wonderful areas. [ HANDOUT ]

Mt. Charleston is the highest peak in Southern Nevada, at 11,918 feet, and encompasses the 316,000 acre Spring Mt. Recreation Area Walker Lake, just north of Hawthorne. As more and more people move to urban areas of Nevada and recreate in our beautiful scenic rural areas - hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting we run the risk of destroying these treasures. In addition we need to consider the lack of facilities to handle the traffic.

This study would help us identify areas to better protect and preserve. As well as creating an inventory of existing facilities. We need to create cooperation between the federal and local government officials, resulting in a collaborative approach to management of these treasures.

. . .Hear from users and advocacy groups about what is needed and
what can be done. [ HAND OUT LETTERS OF SUPPORT ]

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/titus/docs/05_18_2005_WalkerLake.pdf