http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/apps/ ... /105050009
Sand Mt. users willing to protect the environment
LVN Staff Writer
May 5, 2004
Editor:
Every so often, politics throws up a little conflict that, in its expression,of competing values, has a large clarifying effect. One such consequential event is currently in play at Sand Mountain.
The conflict is new to most of us, pitting ostensibly the interests of butterflies and plants that aren't even protected under the Endangered Species Act against the interests of families who enjoy the outdoors in off-highway vehicles in an area formally designated for their use.
The prime motivator of these restrictions is an environmental-extremist organization called the Center for Biological Diversity. It claims to be working to protect the environment, but don't be fooled. They oppose all motorized access, logging, road building, mining, grazing, oil exploration or other productive uses of public land. Their socialist agenda is without scientific basis and should be recognized as such.
Those of us who are using Sand Mountain are willing to help devise sensible plans to protect the environment, and still retain quality recreational opportunity. But the Bureau of Land Management is determining land use plans based upon the threat of litigation by environmental-extremists. Their plan is to close thousands of acres to vehicular use, but actually fails to protect sensitive species and closes more riding area than necessary. The end result? An ever-increasing number of users will be squeezed into a smaller area. This, in turn, concentrates impact and next year, the Center for Biological Diversity will renew their claim and the process is repeated until the area is completely closed.
Environmental groups are destroying the access and recreational use of our public lands by an organized assault against all groups that don't conform to their environmentally correct, eco-sensitive agenda. I hope Nevadans wake up before they find themselves fenced out of their own backyard.
Jon Crowley
Shingle Springs, Calif.
Sand Mt. users willing to protect the environment
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