Holiday Catalog Spotlights Efforts to Protect Gold Butte
Monday, December 13, 2010
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - It's a unique way to spread a plea for wilderness protection in Nevada, and it appears in the colorful pages of a catalog for apparel and gear mailed to more than 800,000 people who love the outdoors. The new Patagonia Holiday Catalog includes a photo of Carrie Sandstedt, Reno, taken in the sand dunes of Gold Butte. She says people are coming up to her every day because of it, and she calls it a great way to spread the word that wild land right outside of Las Vegas needs protection.
"Gold Butte is an amazing place. It's full of Native American, pioneer and mining history, and it's also biologically and ecologically diverse."
Sandstedt is one of five grassroots organizers from around the nation recognized in the Patagonia catalog for doing exceptional work to protect the environment.
Some off-road vehicle users oppose wilderness designation, fearing they will have fewer places to ride, but Sanstedt says no roads will be closed in Gold Butte, and they should actually see benefits from better management and signage there.
"To have Gold Butte protected as a National Conservation Area with Wilderness will help all users of this area, from hikers to off-road enthusiasts, enjoy it in a way that protects and highlights the resource."
Sandstedt hopes Congress will take up Gold Butte in 2011. The Pew Environment Group Campaign for America's Wilderness is working on 20 bills pending in Congress, which together would protect 2 million acres across 13 states with Wilderness designation.
get more stories like this via email
United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…
Social Issues
The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …
Environment
Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …
Environment
April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …
Health and Wellness
The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …
Environment
Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …