LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A public meeting to provide input for Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is planned for Thursday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Clark County Shooting Complex.
It’s the first step in putting together a “General Management Plan” (GMP) that will guide administrators as work on the national monument continues.
The national monument was established to preserve thousands of Ice Age fossils — remnants of creatures including extinct mammoths, lions, camels, horses, bison and dire wolves that once roamed the area.
Among the questions the National Park Service is asking:
- What experiences in Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument are most important to you? What kind of experiences do you want future visitors to have when they come to the park?
- What are your thoughts on the draft desired conditions and management zones for the park? Is there anything that is missing?
- What are your thoughts on the two alternative management zones maps? (Below) Do you prefer one over the other, and if so, why?
- What activities, wayfinding tools, interpretive/educational materials, and services would make you feel more welcome, safe, or satisfied with your experience in the park?
- Other thoughts you’d like to share with the project team?
The national monument was established Dec. 19, 2014. It is in the northern Las Vegas valley and extends along U.S. 95 toward Indian Springs.
Today, the monument is home to plants and wildlife of the Mojave Desert, but the fossils are from animals that lived in the area from 100,000 to 12,500 years ago, when wetlands in the area attracted wildlife.
