Sun, Nov 16, 2008 (2:08 a.m.)

Upon entering the Gold Butte region south of Mesquite, visitors encounter vast open spaces, mountains, towering and colorful rock formations, and, if they are hardy and lucky enough, remnants of old mining camps, big horn sheep, desert tortoises, golden eagles, quail, 1,000-year-old petroglyphs — and the sights get better around every bend.

It is a treasure extending over more than 350,000 acres that beckons people, and more are visiting each year. But it is also a treasure that is largely unprotected, resulting in increasing amounts of graffiti, vandalism and thoughtless, reckless use by some visitors.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., in September introduced a bill in Congress that would provide a combination of much-needed wilderness and conservation-area designations for Gold Butte.

Similar protection was recommended in 2001 by the Nevada Wilderness Coalition, at a time when Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign were guiding a Clark County lands bill through Congress in response to heavy growth here. The bill, passed in October 2002, succeeded in designating more than 450,000 acres in Southern Nevada as wilderness, but Gold Butte got left out.

This area, often called “Nevada’s piece of the Grand Canyon puzzle,” is eminently worthy of strong protection, the kind that would not prohibit responsible use of the area but would ensure its preservation for generations to come.

Las Vegas Sun reporter Phoebe Sweet, in a story last week about Berkley’s Gold Butte protection bill, reported that wilderness and conservation-area designations result in areas receiving more resources, including those for enforcement of rules.

Sweet also talked with Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins, who represents the Gold Butte area and parts of Mesquite. “Congress is going to make sure the local folks have complete input ... before anything is passed,” Collins said.

His point was important, as many people are wary of federal land designations, fearing that access will become too restricted. Our view is that wilderness and conservation-area designations maintain ample opportunities for exploration while setting and enforcing common-sense rules for protecting irreplaceable natural and cultural sites.

The most strict designation, wilderness, still allows camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and other uses — just not all-terrain and other vehicles that can cause permanent scarring.

We support Berkley’s bill. It is time for Gold Butte to receive the protection it richly deserves.