Madam Speaker, I first want to thank the Bureau of Land Management and Friends of Red Rock Canyon for helping facilitate today's event. I also want to thank our guests for joining me in commemorating…
Madam Speaker, I first want to thank the Bureau of Land Management and Friends of Red Rock Canyon for helping facilitate today's event. I also want to thank our guests for joining me in commemorating the 30th anniversary of the designation of Red Rock National Conservation Area. Although we were not able to celebrate on the date it was signed, November 16, because of COVID, I felt it was important to honor the man who introduced legislation to preserve Red Rock Canyon for future generations, Congressman James Bilbray.
Congressman Bilbray served as the Representative for Nevada's First District from 1987-1995. In that role, he led the legislative effort to permanently protect more than 83,000 acres of Red Rock Canyon. On November 16, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed Congressman Bilbray's bill, H.R. 4559, The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Establishment Act. In 1994, Congressman Bilbray successfully spearheaded an effort to expand the conservation area to more than 176,000 acres to protect Joshua tree and desert tortoise habitat. H.R. 3050, The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Boundary Expansion, was signed by President Bill Clinton in November of that year.
Congressman Bilbray was ahead of his time. When he introduced legislation to protect Red Rock Canyon, the environmental movement was just in its beginnings in Nevada. It wasn't as easy or as popular to pass this kind of legislation, but he had the vision to know that this area was special and should be preserved for his grandchildren and future generations to enjoy.
Saving this area from development was personal for the Congressman. A lifelong Nevadan, he camped in the area as a Boy Scout and frequently visited it with his family on picnics and hikes. Red Rock Canyon also holds significant cultural resources for the native Southern Paiute Tribe. Within the canyons exist rock walls with extensive petroglyphs, as well as indications of prehistoric inhabitation, such as shelter caves and agave roasting pits. The area is home to burros, bighorns, and desert tortoises, as well as unique flora. And in contrast to nearby Las Vegas, a town emphasizing entertainment and gaming, Red Rock offers respite and recreation of a different nature. It is because of Congressman Bilbray that Nevadans and visitors from around the globe can enjoy this unique desert landscape, the natural crown jewel of Southern Nevada.
In honor of Congressman Bilbray's public service, a new plaque will be installed at the entrance of the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center where over 2,000 people enter each day. We will see, know, and get to read about the incredible man who made this possible.
