America's largest wildlife refuge outside Alaska should not be turned into a bombing range
The Air Force proposal calls for complete control of nearly 850,000 acres of the Desert National WIldlife Refuge.
Friends of Nevada Wilderness
Air Force proposal would block public access, put Native American cultural resources and wildlife at risk
The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is a natural gem, located just north of Las Vegas. Established in 1936 as a habitat preserve for bighorn sheep, it is the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48.
Ranging in elevation from desert sand dunes to six mountain ranges - including rugged peaks towering over 10,000 feet, the refuge is home to Joshua tree woodlands, bristlecone pines and hundreds of species of plants and animals. It also contains ancient petroglyphs and artifacts from people who inhabited the site for thousands of years. It remains an important cultural resource to the Southern Paiute tribe. This largely undisturbed landscape provides sanctuary to Nevadans and visitors alike, who come to marvel at its amazing scenery.
But all of this is at risk if a United States Air Force plan to take control of nearly 850,000 acres of the refuge is approved by Congress. The Air Force operates a massive 2.9 million-acre facility at the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range, providing ample opportunity for readiness activities. With so much public land already available in the existing Test and Training Range, there is no need for this destructive expansion into a pristine wildlife refuge.
Nevada lawmakers have acted on widespread support to protect the wildlife refuge and keep it accessible to the public. In a nearly unanimous vote, the state legislature recently passed a resolution opposing the military's expansion proposal.
"Nevadans from across the political spectrum are standing up for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge," said Paul Spitler, Director of Wilderness Policy at the Wilderness Society. "As the near-unanimous bipartisan opposition in the Nevada state legislature to the Air Force expansion clearly demonstrates, conservation is not a partisan issue."
To learn more about the Desert National Wildlife Refuge:
US Fish and Wildlife Service - Desert National Wildlife Refuge
