Holiday-time visitors in Las Vegas may enjoy a hike at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on Sunday, December 20, 2015.
Saturday, April 27, 2019 | 2 a.m.
For years, a gypsum mine near Red Rock National Conservation Area has been a source of controversy.
Gypsum Resources LLC wants to turn it into a mixed-use development with 3,000 homes. Nature lovers want to keep it pristine — as pristine as a working mine can be.
This past week, conservationists won a round in the battle between development and restraint when the Clark County Commission voted down a waiver request that would have helped fast-track the developer’s plans.
Now, developers will have to wait for Bureau of Land Management approvals before the county will consider their plans.
“It’s extremely positive,” says Heather Fisher, the president of Save Red Rock. “We’re very excited about this ruling.”
The vote shows that the county commissioners think Red Rock is worth protecting and that they “understand the major implications that development would have on the canyon,” Fisher says.
While the developers will continue working toward their goal as they wait on the BLM, the folks at Save Red Rock are turning their eye to new issues.
Fisher says her group is focused on preserving federal funding for conservation as well as helping disperse recreation around Red Rock to make it safer and more enjoyable. She points out that since annual visitation has increased from 1 million to 3 million in the past few years, the public has learned to value our natural resources.
“It’s been so wonderful to see the amount of support for Red Rock. So many people love it, it’s that worthy.”
This story originally appeared in the Las Vegas Weekly.
