April is the most beautiful month and the busiest month!

Please take a moment to catch up with the progress for Gold Butte and Friends of Gold Butte’s

Mission: The organization will achieve permanent preservation and protection of the Gold Butte area through National Conservation Area designation.

The end of March a few of Senator Reid’s staff spent the weekend in Gold Butte camping and hiking. I guess it’s hard to do this without including “4-wheeling” on the backcountry roads. Senator Reid supports the Gold Butte National Conservation Area (NCA) with Wilderness.

Senator Reid and Congresswoman Titus staff visited with various local groups too. Congressman Heller’s staff was not available. Many meetings with locals and Las Vegans have been held in the past. As an organization we have tried to reach out to different groups to listen and share our ideas for Gold Butte, the beautiful landscape we all cherish.

Last week Mayor Holecheck and Commissioner Tom Collins arranged for a group of locals from Moapa Valley, Bunkerville and Mesquite to meet in Gold Butte with Bob Abbey Director of the BLM. Mr. Abbey is the former state BLM director of Nevada. He was appointed National Director by President Obama last year. Consensus in support for Gold Butte NCA was reached among those that attended. Future meetings will be held for further discussion with Mayor Holecheck and Commissioner Collins facilitating.

So, what’s next and what do we need to do to accomplish our mission?

1. Support the Clark County Commission resolution for Gold Butte NCA with Wilderness. This resolution is similar to the one adopted by the City of Mesquite in October 2009.

 Attend the Clark County Board of Commissioners meeting on April 20 at 9am – 500 Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas

 Call 702-455-3500 or email ccdistA@co.clark.nv.us (Steve Sisolak) ccdistB@co.clark.nv.us (Tom Collins) ccdistC@co.clark.nv.us (Larry Brown) ccdistD@co.clark.nv.us (Lawrence Weekly) ccdistE@co.clark.nv.us (Chris G) ccdistF@co.clark.nv.us (Susan Brager) ccdistG@co.clark.nv.us (Chairman Rory Reid) your County Commissioner and ask for their assistance in introducing and passing a resolution in support of legislation for the Gold Butte NCA with Wilderness.

2. Support the City of Mesquite council members to stand behind their unanimous decision for the resolution of support for the Gold Butte NCA with Wilderness

Thank Mayor Holecheck for her constant support and hard work for Gold Butte. We would not be this far along without her strength

 Mesquite residents can attend FoGB’s roundtable meeting on April 21, Wednesday evening at 7pm at the Mesquite Veterinary Clinic, 371 Riverside Road

 Call City Council members 702-346-5295 or email sholecheck@mesquitenv.gov dbennett@mesquitenv.gov rence@mesquitenv.gov dfairchild@mesquitenv.gov kgustaveson@mesquitenv.gov gwithelder@mesquitenv.gov and ask for their continued support for the Gold Butte NCA with Wilderness

 Volunteer at the FoGB Mesquite Days booth April 23 & 24

 Attend the Mesquite City Council Gold Butte work session City Hall April 27 at 3pm

3. A short hand written note to your Congress person, phone call or an email is really important right now. It only takes a moment and you can write as often as you wish.

 Congresswoman Dina Titus 8215 S. Eastern Avenue, Suite 205 Las Vegas, NV 89123

Phone: (702) 387-4941

 Congressman Dean Heller 600 Las Vegas Blvd., Suite 680 Las Vegas, NV 89101

Phone: (702)-255-1651

 Congresswoman Shelley Berkley 2340 Paseo Del Prado, Suite D-106 Las Vegas, NV 89102 Phone – (702) 220-9823

WAIT! What about the fun stuff?

Saturday, April 17 join the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council at Pakoon Springs for picnic and celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument. We will meet at the Virgin Valley Water District on Riverside Road (just before the bridge) at 9am. Please RSVP to Nancy Hall This is fun high clearance ride and we will need drivers for our riders.

May is open for hikes, it starts to warm up by this time. Anyone know an easy way up to Billy Goat Peak they would like to guide? I’m game to try again.  How about the slot canyon in Mudd wash to the lake or the canyon on the south side of the Virgin Mountains. Too much beauty to decide – send suggestions and we can set a date.

Saturday evening May 8, 15, 22, &29 Clark County Jazz Festival Friends of Gold Butte will have a table with information at these events. Last year it was great! Enjoy an evening in the grass with live jazz music and food and friends. We will pass out our Friends of Gold Butte information and savor the spring evening.

Clark County Building 500 Grand Central Parkway Las Vegas Contact Terri Robertson