ShareTrails | Muddy Mountains Travel Management Plan in Nevada Open for Public Comment

featured photo courtesy of Trails Offroad

The Bureau of Land Management in Nevada has opened public comment for the Muddy Mountains Travel Management Plan environmental assessment. Comments will be accepted through August 16, 2024. This plan is to designate which routes will remain open to users. Located just 50 miles from Las Vegas, this planning area borders Valley of Fire and Lake Mead and is just south of the city of Overton.In 2022, 263 miles were identified by the BLM. Alternative D is the preferred alternative. Please submit a comment letting the BLM know that they cannot arbitrarily close routes just for the sake of closing routes as they are doing in this plan.

Alternative D is supposed to be the “blended” option that supposedly is a balance between the recreation and conservation alternatives. However, all of the options given are conservation alternatives because other than Alternative A, which is current management they all close routes in order to prioritize the environment over recreation and multiple use. Over 48,000 acres are already designated as the Muddy Mountains Wilderness area which completely prohibits any form of mechanical use. The Las Vegas Resource Management plan gives directives that this area be managed to provide “semi-primitive recreation opportunities”. Semi-primitive according to the BLM, includes motorized access. Many routes are proposed for closure due to vegetation or soil risk even though the route reports show recreation or minerals benefits. Routes also shouldn’t be closed because they go to the boundary of Wilderness or another management area.

Alternative A: Current management, no changes.

Alternative B: Access alternative.

Alternative C : Conservation alternative

Alternative D: Blended alternative

E-bikes allowed on non-motorized routes would be determined through route management designations.