32,618 acres in size, the proposed national monument, located at the edge of East Las Vegas before entering Lake Mead National Recreation Area, would include Frenchman Mountain, Rainbow Gardens, and The Great Unconformity. Support National Monument Designation for this precious region of Southern Nevada.
The proposed East Las Vegas National Monument is 32,618 acres in size and it’s located at the edge of East Las Vegas before entering Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
The majority of the area is currently managed as the Rainbow Gardens Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) because of its unique geology and rare plants.
An unconformity is a buried erosion surface. It is a surface of rock that was exposed on the Earth’s surface and was then covered by younger layers. Unconformities are important because they represent missing intervals of the geologic record, like pages missing from a history book. The Great Unconformity in East Las Vegas represents about 1.2 billion years, which is more than one fourth of the age of the Earth..
Frenchman Mountain is the highest peak in the mountain range at the eastern border of the Las Vegas Valley. The Frenchman Mountain trail is a popular hiking location.
Las Vegas Bearpoppies are found exclusively in Clark County in the gypsum badland habitat from the Las Vegas Valley to Lake Mead. This species is listed by the State of Nevada as officially endangered. Habitat losses from development, mining, and off-trail driving have made the Las Vegas Bearpoppy vulnerable to extinction.
The area is sacred to the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) peoples, with sites that are part of their cultural and spiritual traditions vital to their connection to the land and their life journey.
A National Monument designation to this area would bring improved management to the landscape to include cultural, wildlife, and recreational management beyond the limits of an ACEC designation.
This highly scenic area contains exceptional, unique, cultural, geological, and biological resources, and it offers truly extraordinary potential for accessible and safe outdoor recreation and education to the community in the East side of Las Vegas. Currently, residents in the northeastern sector of the Valley have no easy access to natural areas for hiking, family picnics, and the simple pleasures of being immersed in nature.
The Nevada Legislature and the Clark County Commission have passed resolutions urging Congress to increase the level of protection for this area, calling for a National Monument designation.
The proposed East Las Vegas National Monument encompasses over 32,000 acres of public land in southern Nevada, located in the Eastern boundary of Clark County and bordering Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The landscape is home to the rare Las Vegas Bearpoppy, The Great Unconformity- a rare geological feature, important cultural sites vital to the Southern Paiute (Nuwuvi, Nuwu) people, and important recreational opportunities. Designating this landscape as a national monument would ensure their preservation for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Establishing the East Las Vegas National Monument is a crucial step in the preservation of Native American ancestral lands, joining Bears Ears and Gold Butte national monuments, and the proposed Avi Kwa Ame national monument.
The designation would also protect the quality of life for local residents and provide safe recreational opportunities to the community.
I support the designation of the East Las Vegas National Monument, as it will conserve important cultural sites, protect rare plant and wildlife habitat, provide safe recreational opportunities, and secure the permanent protection of these lands for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
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