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A congressional committee voted last Friday to block the United States Air Force's proposal to expand the Nevada Test & Training Range further into the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. The proposal was included as part of a military spending bill and would have given the Air Force greater authority for the management of the refuge.
The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is the largest in the lower 48 states, covering 2,500 square miles of the Mojave Desert across six mountain ranges. The refuge is home to endangered desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and 320 species of birds, and also includes ancestral tribal lands and recreation areas. Consequently, the expansion of the testing range was opposed by tribal nations, conservation organizations, sportsmen, military veterans and anti-war activists, and even the state legislature and governor.
The amendment to allow the Air Force the final say in managing their activities within the refuge was offered by Utah Representative Rob Bishop without the knowledge of the Nevada congressional delegation. Patrick Donnelly, Nevada state director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement, “We have beaten back the Bishop amendment and the Air Force's sneaky maneuver. This is the result of a massive organizing effort, mobilizing tens of thousands of people across the country, and the years of coalition building that we've done.”
Report: People of color are three times more likely to live in areas without access to nature
The findings from a new report released today from the Hispanic Access Foundation and the Center for American Progress indicate that Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other racial minority communities are three times more likely to live in areas without access to nature. Unequal access to natural areas has significant health implications in the form of disparities in air quality and the ability to enjoy the benefits of parks and shaded areas in urban environments.
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As someone who spent more than three decades working at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, I know first-hand the dedication and commitment of BLM employees to follow the agency’s mission to 'sustain the health, diversity and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.' It’s not always easy. The myriad of demands from outdoor recreationists, ranchers and energy companies can often be at odds. But I was proud to be part of a team that understood the importance of public lands and the need for a balanced approach in managing those lands. William Perry Pendley has no such understanding and is in no way fit to lead this agency."
