Fire On The Mountain

There is a fire burning on the Virgin Mountains

On Saturday night August 11, 2012 about 7:00 the kids and I were sitting on the front porch watching a  lightening storm roll in up around the Virgin Mountain. About 7:15 - 7:20 you could start to seeing the smoke come off the mountain and at 7:45 the fire trucks from the Logandale Volunteer station went out a goin' and a blowin'.

Today August 13,2012 on the way home from work about 4:30 PM it was still smoking up on the mountain.

If everyone would quit arguing about what to call it and just work to properly administer the plans we already have and be a part of the solution instead of the problem, there might be something left to actually pass to the next generation.
 

Fire on the mountain, run boys run....
thanks to the volunteer firefighters for putting their lives in every meaning and sense of the word, on the line

With Time

It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.

-- Francois Rabelais

Yet another ridiculous proposal has been set forth concerning Gold Butte’s management. This one proposes a National Monument be created. This only gives evidence of the outside influences that manipulate public lands management, the lack of common sense, lack of regard for the State, its elected representatives and its citizens.

With time, more people are becoming aware of the long term pitfalls of poor public lands management and the risk it become to a community’s long term sustainability and independence. One important issue that faces most of the Western United States is that of water and our access to it. As communities move forward the need arises to not only protect existing water rights but also to secure new water sources. This ensures its future security and allows a community to remain independent. However recently with the threat of political interference, more people are becoming aware of the long term affects and the consequences it will have directly on the community.

The Board for the Virgin Valley Water District has started to take notice of the recent potential threat being talked about in the Gold Butte and Virgin Mountain area. The water district owns water rights on the Virgin Mountain but has no right-of-ways to access the water. Now they are getting hemmed in by more and more red tape.

"We have good map designations of the area that we need in order to maintain access and establish our rights-of-way," Rock added. "It's moving very fast now."

Karl Gustaveson, Board President, favored making the trip. "If it becomes a monument, it could be even more difficult to maintain those rights. There's too big of a gamble not to address this now."

"It will be impossible to get our water rights added in after it’s designated a monument," Rock advised.

To read an article written by the Mesquite Citizen paper covering the water board meeting please click the following link:

http://mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2536&id=3

Berkley is Back At It

Rep. Shelly Berkley (D-Nev.) has formally requested President Barack Obama to declare the Gold Butte complex a National Monument.

Berkley was one of more than a dozen members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition (SEEC) that sent a letter to the White House urging the President to use his authority under the National Antiquities Act to designate more public lands as national monuments. The July 25 letter specifically included the Gold Butte Complex as well as the Pine Forest Range, both in Nevada.

The letter reviewed the fact that Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued a report last November which had highlighted eighteen “legislative opportunities” to designate public lands as wilderness or National Conservation Areas. Claiming full public support for these conservation measures, the letter then blamed a Republican majority in the House for taking no action on the “opportunities”.

“Thank you for challenging Congress to act on these noncontroversial proposals right away,” the letter stated. “Unfortunately, the Republican majority in the House has failed to pass a single one of these measures, even those introduced by Republicans, and instead has focused on rolling back environmental protections for our nation’s land, water, and wildlife.”

The letter concluded: “In light of the House’s failure to report legislation protecting federal public lands, we encourage you to use the Antiquities Act and protect our country’s most cherished public lands for future generations.”

To read the full article written in the Moapa Valley Progress by Vernon Robison click the following link: http://mvprogress.com/2012/08/01/rep-berkley-advocates-for-national-monument-at-gold-butte/