Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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Over my 28 years in Nevada, I have become enamored of the wild public lands.
So I’m concerned about the Air Force’s proposal to close public access to parts of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. I’ve climbed Hayford and Gass peaks, slept in the Hidden Forest and enjoyed short hikes in the refuge with my daughter. Every time I hike Joe May Canyon, I see bighorn sheep, our state animal. As Southern Nevada’s population continues to expand, the refuge is a place to escape for a little solitude. It’s the largest refuge outside of Alaska, and it’s something we should celebrate and protect.
My father served in the Air Force for nearly three decades. He retired here in part because he loved Nevada’s open spaces. We live in a complex and sometimes dangerous world, and our armed forces need to prepare for deadly circumstances. I simply don’t feel that areas set aside should lose protections when so much of Nevada is already open for military exercises.
Open space is dwindling worldwide. We should set a higher standard here by keeping our state wild.
