This is the twenty-eight diary in my Expanding the National Park Series. Prior Diaries in the Series are listed at the bottom of the Diary This time I'm In Nevada, the Silver State. In terns of percentage of land, Nevada has more land owned by the feds than any other state-84.5%. currently , Nevada has 2 national parks, 1 national monument, 3 national forests, 9 wildlife refuges,and 5 historic sites and other NPS units. I will be proposing adding 5 additional monuments to Nevada's tally.
Nevada
Total Area 110 572 sq miles
Land Area 109 781 sq miles
Water Area 791 sq miles
Coastline 0 miles
Additional monuments -5
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-5
* Gold Butte
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Rock art is seen in the above pucture
Would conserve areas near the Arizona border consisting of areas bordering the Grand Canyon and other public lands . the area was proposed as a conservation area by Senator Harry Reid in 2013, however monument status grants stronger protections. Estimated area 500000 acres -780 sq miles- about half the size of Rhode Island
* Heart Of the Great Basin
One of 14 proposed monuments in a leaked Department of Interior Memo that caused the Republicans to go postal.the area consists of parts of 3 mountain ranges -Monitor, Toiyabe and Toquima. Estimated area 2 million acres- 3125 sq miles, twice the size of Rhode island
*Greater Hart-Sheldon
a vast area of remote, scenic beauty, the areas runs from Oregon into northern Nevada, encompassing existing refuges on both sizes of the border. to protect this region will require a very large monument. Estimated area 3 million acres (in NV and OR)-4700 sq miles- bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined
* Owyhee
A Huge area of public lands stretching from Nevada into Oregon and Idaho, this area was also one of 14 listed on that interior Department memo leaked in 2010. Set it aside and protect it from development so that future generations can enjoy it. Estimated area - 3 million acres (in ID, NV and OR)-4700 sq miles bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined
* Lake Tahoe
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the lake, as seen from space
Would convert the existing forest in California and Nevada to monument status and incorporate Lake Tahoe, which is the second -deepest lake in the country at 1645 feet at maximum depth(only Crater Lake at 1949 feet is deeper). Estimated area 320000 acres-500 sq miles
EXISTING AREAS
NATIONAL PARKS-2
* Death Valley Established 1933 Covers 3,373,063 acres (in CA and NV)
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Some sand dunes in the park are seen in the above photo
The largest national park in the Lower 48, Death Valley contains the lowest point in the US at -282 feet. the hottest temperature on record occurred in Death Valley in July of 1913 when it hit 134 degrees. it is regularly the hottest spot in the US. mining was allowed in the park for decades , including open pit and strip mining, the resulting public outcry led to increased protections for future monuments and parks. parts of Death Valley were used to portray the planet Tatooine in the first Star Wars film in 1977. 95% of the park is wilderness. Most of the park lies in California, but a small portion stretches into Nevada
* Great Basin Established 1986 Covers 77180 acres Budget $2,189,000 (in 2005)
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Bristlecone pine, the worlds oldest trees, are seen in the park in the above photo
Created by Congress in 1986, the park is named after the large basin that lies in-between the Wasatch and Sierra Nevada Mountains. the park contains groves of bristlecone pines, which can live as long as 5000-7000 years. The park also contains Lehman Caves, which was a national monument until it was merged into the park by Congress. Lehman Caves was first protected in 1922, and was Nevada's only monument at the time of the parks creation. Great Basin was selected as Nevada's entry in the national Park quarters series, it was the third quarter released in 2013. Over 90000 people visited the park in 2011.
NATIONAL MONUMENTS -1
* Tule Springs Established 2014 Covers 22650 acres
Established by Congress in late 2014, Tule Springs is Nevada's first monument since Lehman Caves NM was absorbed into Great Basin NP in 1986. Located north of Las Vegas, the monument conserves Ice Age fossils found in the Las Vegas Wash. Tule Springs is the second monument created by Congress in Obama's presidency.
NATIONAL FORESTS-3
* Humboldt-Toiyabe Established 1907 Covers 6,300,000 acres (in CA and NV)
The Largest National Forest outside of Alaska, Humboldt- Toiyabe is spread out across most of Nevada. only a relatively small area-11%- reaches into California. the forest is spread into 10 districts and contains 24 wilderness areas, Toiyabe is the bigger of the forests covering about 57% of the total area. this forest contains the portion in California, while Humboldt lies entirely in Nevada.
* Inyo Established 1907 covers 1,903,381 acres(in CA and NV)
one of the largest national forests in the state, all but 60000 acres lie in California. Inyo protects both Mount Whitney, California tallest mountain, and Boundary Peak, Nevada's tallest mountain at 13147 feet, as well as the Ancient Bristlecone Pines Forest, which contain both the oldest bristlecone pine in the world as well as the largest. The John Muir and Ansel Adams Wildernesses run though the forest, combining to protect 1.5 million areas in both the forests and national parks. the forest is named after the county,-Inyo- in which it resides. Inyo is a Native American word that means " Dwelling place of the Great Spirit".
* Lake Tahoe Basin Established 1973 Covers 191000 acres(in CA and NV)
First preserved as the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve in 1899, the forest was created out of the basin portions of the Tahoe, Eldorado and Toiyabe forests, which were themselves created out of the original forest reserve. the Forest covers 78% of land in the Lake Tahoe basin, and ensures protection for Lake Tahoe. Most of the forest lies on the Nevada side.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-9
* Anaho Island Established 1913 Covers 247 acres
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part of the refuge is seen in the above photo
The oldest of Nevada's 9 refuges, Anaho Island was set aside by President Wilson in 1913 and conserves habitat for American pelicans, the nesting colony in the refuge is one of the largest in the country. to protect the birds and their habitat , the refuge is closed to the public.
* Ash Meadows Established 1984 Covers 23000 acres
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The Armagosa Desert, part of the refuge, is shown above
Part of the Desert WR Complex, Ash Meadows protects a very rare desert oases habitat, including many streams and pools, all containing fossil water deposited many thousands of years ago. the refuge borders Death Valley NP to the west. Ash Meadow was declared a Ramsar Wetland in 1986.
* Desert Established 1936 Covers 1,615,000 acres
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a map of the refuge is seen above
By far the largest refuge in the lower 48, Desert contains 6 mountain ranges , part of the Nevada Training and Testing Range (which is closed to the public ), and provides habitat fir bighorn sheep, which was the reason for its establishment in 1936. 1.3 million acres of the refuge has been managed as de facto wilderness since 1974.
* Fallon Established 1931 Covers 15000 acres
Set aside to provide habitat for birds and wildlife, Fallon lies within the Carson River watershed and protects a good portion of river. the refuge has no facilities and roads are only passable in dry weather.
* Moapa Valley Established 1979 Covers 106 acres
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A View of the refuge, looking north
The smallest refuge in the state, Moapa was set aside to protect the endangered Moapa dace fish, of which about 2000 live in the refuge. To protect the fish, the refuge is closed between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
* Pahranagat Established 1963 Covers 5380 acres
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Upper Lake, part of the refuge, is shown above
Part of the Desert WR Complex, Pahranagat is named after the valley in which the refuge lies. Located on the Pacific Flyway, the refuge is an important start for birds headed west to California.
* Ruby Lake Established 1938 Covers 37632 acres
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An entrance sign to the refuge is shown above
The fourth-largest refuge in the state, Ruby Lake lies on the southern end of Ruby Valley. An important stop on the Pacific and Central Flyways, Ruby Lake is home to the largest number of nesting canvasback ducks outside of Alaska, and the South Marsh portion of the refuge has been declared a National Natural landmark. the area in which the refuge now lies was an important stop on the Pony express, and a fort (called Fort Ruby) is also located in the refuge.
* Sheldon Established 1931 Covers 573504 acres(in NV and OR)
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Desert in the eastern part of the refuge is seen above
Located near the northern border of the state, Sheldon is the second-largest refuge in Nevada, and is part of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain WR Complex in Oregon. Only a tiny portion of of the refuge reaches into Oregon. Sheldon is classed as one of the few intact sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the Great Basin region, and is famous of his population of wild horses, which were featured on the Nevada state quarter in 2006.
* Stillwater Established 1949 Covers 79570 acres
Located near Fallon WR, Still water is home to nearly 300 species of birds, and has been listed as a Globally Important Birding Area by the American Bird Conservatory. Stillwater is the third-largest refuge in the state, and plans call for the refuge to increase in size.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-5
* Black Rock-High Rock NCA Established 2000 Covers 380000 acres
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a map of the conservation area is shown above
Located in northwest Nevada, Black-High Rock, contains 10 wilderness areas, in fact , nearly all of the NCA is wilderness. the area was a popuklar route on trails leadng to California during the western expansion, and one of the goals of the NCa is to cnserve that history.
* Lake Mead NRA Established 1936 Covers 1,495,806 acres (in AZ and NV)
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Lake Mead as viewed from Hoover Dam
Established in 1936 as the Boulder Dam Recreation Area,the area was later renamed, and expanded and reclassified by Congress in 1964 as the country's first recreational area. the RA has 9 wilderness areas, all in Nevada. Managed by the Park service, Lake mead is regularly one of the most visited areas in the system, in 2013 more than 6.3 million people visited the area.
* Red Rock Canyon NCA Established 1967 Covers 195 819 acres
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Petroglyphs in the canyon are shown above
Set aside originally in 1967, the NCA was expanded in 1990 by Congress. Located near Las Vegas, and containing the easternmost parts of the Mojave desert, it also contains the lowest points in the desert at 3600 feet. Red Rock borders Spring Mountains NRA to the west. Over 1 million people visited in 2008.
* Sloan Canyon NCA Established 1978 Covers 48 438 acres
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Petroglyphs in the conservation area are shown above
Located south of Las Vegas, Sloan Canyon is home to nearly 2000 petroglyphs. Problems with vandalism has forced the NCA to be closed to camping and OV access. Much of the northern part of the NCA is wilderness.
* Spring Mountains NRA Established 1993 Covers 316000 acres
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a sign at the Visitors Center is shown above
Managed by the Forest Service, Spring Mountains is contained within Humboldt-Toiyabe NF. the area was first established as a forest in 1906 then designated a Recreational Area in 1993.
Thus concludes my visit to Nevada. Next time I'll be visiting New Hampshire, and trying not to get blown off Mount Washington. As always, comments, feedback and imput are Welcome. see you in the Comments!
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama
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2 Alaska
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3 Arizona
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4 Arkansas
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5 California
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6 Colorado
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7 Connecticut
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8 Delaware
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9 Florida
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10 Georgia
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11 Hawaii
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12 Idaho
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13 Illinois
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14 Indiana
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