Lake Mead National Recreation Area may be centered around water, but there also is a landmass attached to the NRA, and wilderness areas within that mass. Now the park staff is working to develop a management plan for those areas.

On February 11, 12 and 13 the park staff will hold public meetings to go over preliminary alternatives it has developed around its WIlderness Management Plan. The meetings will be held from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. PST at the following locations:

* Feb. 11, James Gibson Library, 100 W Lake Mead Pkwy Henderson, Nev.

* Feb. 12, Boulder City Library, 701 Adams Blvd., Boulder City, Nev.

* Feb. 13, Mohave Community College, Room 210, 3400 Arizona 95, Bullhead City, Ariz.

According to the NRA, the Clark County (Nevada) Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 designated more than 185,000 acres of public lands within Lake Mead National Recreation Area as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which was signed into law in 1964 to protect some of America’s iconic, wild landscapes. Wilderness areas are managed by encouraging primitive recreation, minimal tool allowances and enhancing the naturalness of an area. At Lake Mead NRA, people are welcome to hike, camp, hunt, fish and horseback ride in wilderness areas with minor restrictions, using Leave No Trace principles.

The draft wilderness management plan / environmental impact statement presents and analyzes three alternatives for future direction of the management and use of eight wilderness areas in the park and on adjacent U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands. The three alternatives vary primarily in the level of public access and degree of management.

Under alternative A, no action would be taken. Alternative B, the park’s preferred alternative, focuses on protecting the character of the wilderness areas while providing a few more opportunities for access into several areas. Alternative C provides a higher level of access and visitor use management while still protecting the overall character of the wilderness area.

You can review the plans in advance of the meetings at this website (when it's working).