The push to preserve a grove of sacred swamp cedar trees and commemorate the site of several massacres perpetrated against Indigenous communities in eastern Nevada reached a new milestone last month. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced legislation to establish Bahsahwahbee National Monument in Congress on July 29. The legislation is a long-awaited accomplishment for the Bahsahwahbee campaign, and brings the sacred landscape one step closer to permanent protection.
With Congress unlikely to act this year, the campaign is calling on President Joe Biden to use the Antiquities Act to designate the area a national monument. Drawing on his extensive Senate experience, Biden has traditionally awaited the introduction of legislation before using this authority to establish national monuments.
The Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Ely Shoshone Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Goshute have been advocating for Bahsahwahbee to become Nevada’s newest National Park Service-managed monument for years. Situated 8 miles north of Great Basin National Park, the soon-to-be Bahsahwahbee National Monument would benefit all Nevadans. Safeguarding public lands not only shields us from the most severe effects of climate change but also preserves the unique characteristics that define our state for future generations.
A poll of 602 Nevadans conducted last year reported that 77 percent of respondents support the tribes’ efforts to designate Bahsahwahbee. In 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed a resolution supporting the designation, including unanimous bipartisan support in the state Senate. The tribes are asking for the National Park Service to tell their story — a story of deep connection to the land, tragedy and resiliency.
Nevadans have shown how much they value public land and its protection. Nevada has the highest percentage of public land of any state in the nation. Conservation is part of the culture across the state, transcending party lines and rural-urban divides. Nevadans are more likely to support candidates that protect public lands, and invest in national parks and monuments. Nevada is also the ancestral home of 21 federally recognized tribes spanning 28 reservations, with Indigenous people inhabiting the Great Basin since time immemorial. Thanks to recent efforts to expand voting access, issues important to Native communities matter more than ever in determining our elections.
Intact wetlands and forests such those found at Bahsahwahbee continue to sequester carbon and protect climate-cooling biodiversity, fighting climate changes that have led to Reno and Las Vegas being named the two fastest warming cities in the country. This summer is shaping up to be the hottest on record in Nevada. Indigenous communities have known for millennia what others are only starting to reckon with: Land protection and community protection are inextricably linked.
Nevada, holding true to its purple nature, is projected to be one of the key states that will determine the results of the presidential election and if the Democratic majority in the Senate holds. Registered Independents in Nevada now outnumber registered Democrats and registered Republicans. Polls have shown that 72 percent of Nevadans believe that public land protection benefits our economy, and 78 percent of Independent voters (joined by 73 percent of GOP and 80 percent of Democratic Party voters) believe that conservation is important in selecting a candidate to vote for. All the signs point toward public lands and conservation efforts being a deciding factor in how Nevadans vote this November.
Bahsahwahbee becoming Nevada’s newest National Park Service-administered national monument is not narrowly a conservation issue for eastern Nevada, but one that impacts all Nevadans. The ball is in your court, President Biden.
Olivia Tanager is the director for the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, focusing on Nevada, the Tahoe Basin and the eastern Sierra Nevada. It is a grassroots fueled group that advocates for increased access to renewable energy, public transportation and land, water and wildlife conservation.
The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].
Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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