Nevadans have good reason to be fiercely proud, and protective, of our public lands. From the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe in the north to the ruby sandstone canyons in the south, Nevada’s natural beauty is unparalleled. The opportunity to explore our state’s parks, monuments, and refuges is one of the many joys of living here.
I first encountered the wonder of Nevada’s public lands at a very young age. When my sister and I were kids, my dad took us all over the state, hiking, camping, rock-climbing, and bird watching. He loved the natural world and wanted us to discover its magic.
Every young Nevadan deserves to have that same experience. Outdoor recreation supports 20,000 jobs and generates $1.8 billion in sales in Nevada each year, but our public lands are not just a boon to our economy—they are a powerful tool for educating our children and improving their health. Nevada’s canyons, deserts, mountains, and lakes are the foundation of our Western identity and an indispensable part of our collective heritage.
On April 26, President Trump directed the Department of the Interior to review all national monuments designated in the past 20 years—a list that includes Gold Butte and Basin and Range. If the Trump administration revokes these designations, our state’s most valuable natural and cultural resources will become vulnerable to privatization, pollution, extraction, and permanent degradation. Trump’s budget proposal represents yet another threat to our public lands. If passed, it would eliminate $11.6 billion from the Department of the Interior, the agency responsible for managing them. These egregious cuts would hinder our ability to protect our lands, devastate our local economies and put the health of Nevadans at risk.
Our public lands belong to all of us so we need to protect them for future generations. I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to preserve Nevada’s public lands. To do otherwise would be a profound disservice to our children and grandchildren.
Note: The Department of the Interior is accepting public comment as part of its review. Go to monumentsforall.org to voice your support for our national monuments before July 10th.
