Meghan Wolf and Russell Kuhlman

There is much partisan vitriol in legislation these days. Time and time again we witness party politics interfere with the actual business of legislating in Washington, D.C. Yet here in Nevada, we still choose to reach across party lines at the local level. For years, Nevadans have solved land management issues by putting political interests and personal agendas aside, sitting down in diverse collaborative groups and investing the time to hammer out solutions that work for all of us.

It’s affectionately called “the Nevada way,” and we’re pretty darn proud of it.

In the run-up to the election, we were bombarded with proposals that would exclude large segments of the public from our lands. Earlier this summer, there was a proposal floated to open more than a million acres of Nevada’s wilderness study areas for development such as mining and logging. Currently, the United States Navy is asking Congress to withdraw more than 420,000 acres of public land to expand the Fallon Naval Air Station bombing range across six counties in Nevada. Meanwhile, the Air Force is asking for a withdrawal of an additional 300,000 acres of the Desert Wildlife Refuge to add to their 2.9 million acre Nevada Testing and Training Range. Most of the 300,000 acres has operated as a wilderness study area in the sheep mountains — home to one of Nevada’s largest desert bighorn sheep populations.

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We all can agree that wilderness study areas should not be studied forever. Eventually, they should be either designated as wilderness through an act of Congress or transferred to another public lands designation. However, we need to consider all of the benefits associated with Nevada’s wildlands.

Wilderness areas are vital components of the public lands spectrum. They provide wildlife large tracts of undisturbed habitat and offer incredible recreational opportunities. Changes to the designations of these lands merit broad public input with all user groups and interests holding a seat at a collaborative table.

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A 2017 study from the Outdoor Industry Association reported that Nevada’s robust outdoor recreation economy directly supports 87,000 jobs and contributes $12.6 billion in consumer spending.

Without ample land open to hunting, backpacking, bird watching, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and fishing, the local businesses that depend on public access to these places would be negatively affected. Furthermore, our outdoor economy is far broader than just gear stores that sell backpacks or hunting outfitters who guide antelope hunts. Hotels, cafes, grocery stores, gas stations and more all reap the economic benefits of our public lands.

Some of the most spectacular places in Nevada would be impacted if protections on these wilderness study areas were removed. Mountain ranges like Clan Alpine, Job Peak and Goshute Peak could be marred with power lines or access roads; the Park Range could see oil or gas exploration; and wildlife populations in the Stillwater Range could be reduced or lost if their habitat was degraded. Nevada families have visited these places for generations, and they should remain untouched for generations more to enjoy.

Businesses, conservation and recreation organizations, tribes, sportsmen and women, ranchers and local communities all deserve a voice in how Nevada’s public lands are managed. Let’s work together — with local input from diverse interest groups — to develop management solutions for Nevada’s wild places.

Our public lands require a public and transparent process to arrive at large, landscape-scale solutions. It’s the Nevada way.

Russell Kuhlman is the Nevada chapter coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Meghan Wolf is Patagonia’s environmental activism manager based in Reno.