“Gold Butte, Nevada’s piece of the Grand Canyon, holds a treasure of unique cultural, historic and natural wonders that help tell the story of America. The new monument ensures that generations to come will be able to access, enjoy and explore these public lands – from its ancient petroglyphs and historic mining artifacts to its geological features of red sandstone and rock spires.

“Protecting places like Gold Butte, located on the outskirts of a growing Las Vegas, also encourages economic growth. In fact, if just 10 percent of new visitors decided to spend the night in Mesquite, the total economic impact for the community would be $2.7 million per year, according to an Applied Analysis economic study. The multiple uses where people can experience the great outdoors through hiking, hunting, birding, camping, and ORV riding on designated trails, will be a draw to many in the region and for the millions that visit Las Vegas each year.  

“We thank President Obama for taking action on Gold Butte. For decades Southern Nevadans – thousands of grassroots supporters, numerous local, state, and federal elected officials, business and tourism groups, several elected officials and many more – have worked to protect these public lands as a national monument. We can now take solace that these valuable natural and cultural resources will be preserved for our children and grandchildren.”

Since its founding in 2010, HAF has made building environmental awareness among Latinos, going outdoors and empowering advocates a top priority, including the groundbreaking formation of Por La Creación Faith-Based Alliance and the launch of Latino Conservation Week. Gold Butte was home to one of the many 2016 Latino Conservation Week events and provided the community with the opportunity to hike these lands. With more than a quarter of the Las Vegas population being Latino, their participation underscores the diverse stakeholders that worked to see Gold Butte protected.