February 25, 2010

Washington, DC – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today released the following statement regarding possible executive action to designate new conservation areas in Nevada.

“At different times in our country's past, the Antiquities Act has been an important tool for setting aside certain lands for conservation and protection. This is how the Grand Canyon received protection and, similarly, how our own Lehman Caves first received national attention. Even President George W. Bush used this executive power to protect nearly 215 million acres of U.S. territory.

“Over the last decade, however, the Nevada congressional delegation has done groundbreaking work on public land issues. Working as a team we have protected millions of acres of wild lands while freeing up other areas that are essential for development and for expanding the economic foundations of our communities. I have explained this history to my friend, Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Interior, and he appreciates the consensus building that Nevadans have done in recent years. When this kind of process is in place and working well, there is no need for the President to use the Antiquities Act. Anyone who is concerned about recent references to a 'Heart of the Great Basin' monument or a similar designation of Nevada's Owyhee country can rest at ease. Nevada has a proven public process for working on its own land issues and I will make sure that this process is respected.”