By Brian Beffort, Toiyabe Chapter Director
When the Clark County Commission approved a resolution to increase the size of the Las Vegas metropolitan area June 19, they let a select few decide our future with virtually no public process and destined us all to another generation of sprawl.
Developers will profit. Taxpayers will pay the price for the increasing strain on water, sewer, infrastructure and emergency services. Everyone will experience more polluted air and water, less access to outdoor recreation, more flooding, more gridlock, longer commute times, lower quality of life, and a higher cost of living.
Commissioners also propose to “protect” 300,000 acres of habitat for the threatened desert tortoise to develop the same amount of land. Again habitat shrinks for the threatened species—proof of what happens when you let lobbyists and developers decide how to protect wildlife, instead of Fish & Wildlife Service biologists.
To be fair, the resolution contained some good elements, such as new wilderness and other protected areas, improvements to storm-water management, and expansion to the Moapa Paiute Reservation. The rest of the resolution, however, is nothing but a giveaway to developers and proof that we’ve learned nothing from the decades of proof that sprawl makes life worse across almost all measures.
If we’re going to fit 9 billion people on this planet, or 3 million people in the Las Vegas Valley, and thrive in the process, we all need to do economic growth and conservation differently. Our commissioners are missing an opportunity to lead in the sustainable development of this region. Cities around the world are growing in ways that use less energy and fewer resources, while creating less pollution, conserving land, and providing better access to open spaces. We could be creating communities where people are healthier, happier, more productive and more prosperous. Instead, we’re refusing to learn from the past, and passing the buck to our congressional delegation to wrestle with these challenges. I urge them to be more attentive to an inclusive, public process and sustainable best practices, and not business as usual.
Click here to read the Clark County Resolution.
Click here to read the Sierra Club's comments on the resolution.