BERKLEY STATEMENT ON GOLD BUTTE
CONSERVATION ACT

(September 26, 2008 -- Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today released the following statement about new legislation that she has introduced that seeks to protect the Gold Butte area of Clark County, home to unique Native American artworks, native plants and wildlife and beautiful desert scenery. The legislation would create a new National Conservation Area (NCA) to better protect the cultural and natural resources found in and around Gold Butte. The designation would still permit a full range of activities, including hiking, horseback riding and the use of off-road vehicles in designated areas. Berkley’s statement is as follows:

“Gold Butte is an amazing natural treasure that is also home to unique Native American drawings and there is strong support in southern Nevada for protecting this desert gem before it’s too late.

“We cannot afford to wait years before moving to preserve the Gold Butte area given the damage that is already being inflicted by vandals who have targeted rock art drawn over thousands of years that can never be replaced and which tells the story of our heritage as Nevadans.

“That is why I have drafted legislation that draws on the work of local residents and dedicated volunteers who have come together in an effort to have Gold Butte designated as Nevada's newest National Conservation Area (NCA).

“Like we have done with Sloan Canyon in southern Nevada and the Black Rock Desert in the north, creating an NCA will give us the tools needed to see that Gold Butte remains open to hiking, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, mountain biking, off-roading and other recreational opportunities enjoyed by local families and our visitors from around the world.

“The Clark County Commission fully supports this effort, not only because it will protect the natural beauty and native American artwork found in Gold Butte, but also as a way to allow continued growth of communities from Las Vegas and Henderson to Mesquite.

“Unless more land is set aside in southern Nevada for habitat conservation to protect the desert tortoise and other species, we will not be able to maintain the County's all important habitat conservation plan.

“This agreement allows homes and businesses to continue being built in the Las Vegas Valley and other areas of Cark County which will become off limits to development if we fail to increase the overall amount of land that is protected as a home for our native endangered species.”

“The NCA that I am proposing would give Clark County the ability to expand development in other areas, in exchange for making Gold Butte the new cornerstone of our already established, and highly effective, habitat conservation plan.

“This compromise is a win-win for Nevada, for Clark County and for future generations who will be able to come to Gold Butte and experience the magnificent natural setting and see for themselves the artistry of generations of Native Americans whose story is told on the rocks and the walls of its canyons and open spaces.

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