The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Southern Nevada District is holding two public virtual forums in its process to propose a management plan for the Gold Butte National Monument, located east of Las Vegas, NV.
The national monument is home to the grazing areas that were the source of the infamous dispute between Cliven Bundy and BLM. The area has mostly prohibited grazing after the desert tortoise was listed as an endangered species and habitat was set in the early ’90s.
The proposed implementation plan will be developed in conformance with presidential proclamation 9559, Establishment of the Gold Butte National Monument of Dec. 28, 2016, and the Las Vegas Resource Management Plan, and it will meet the objective to protect natural and cultural resources. The agency will prepare an environmental assessment as part of the planning process.
“We are early in the process of developing a plan for managing the monument, and public input is crucial at this point,” said Shonna Dooman, Las Vegas BLM field manager. “Input from members of the public helps us develop a well-balanced plan.”
The public forums will be held virtually on Feb. 15 and Feb. 17 from 6-8 p.m. PST. Registration for the forums can be found at www.virtualpublicmeeting.com/gold-butte-national-monument-ea. Those who are unable to attend the meetings or who want to provide input later can email BLM_NV_LVFO_GoldButte@blm.gov until March 3. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
