Riverside closure to motor vehicles & camping is now law

WILSON CANYON -- As of today anyone who continues the long tradition of destroying 
the riverside area on the north side of the Walker River near the western mouth of Wilson 
Canyon can be arrested. That's because the long awaited and widely misunderstood 
"Emergency Closure" by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been officially 
published in the Federal Register.  

"This closure is necessary in order to prevent further adverse effects to soils, vegetation, 
water resources, visual resources, wildlife, and wildlife habitat," says the Federal Register 
entry (to see the full text from the Federal Register click here). 

"We're very pleased that the BLM has moved ahead on this, despite the fact that they have 
been facing a local misinformation campaign by people who either do not understand what's
going on, or for some reason want to continue the rampant destruction," said Wilson 
Canyon Alliance co-founder and long-time local landowner, Larry O'Hanlon. "We are looking 
forward to seeing if this actually helps stop the destruction to the riverside trees, 
plants and the river itself. This is long overdue," he said.

The emergency closure does not close the riverside area to the public. On the contrary, it
allows room for more individuals to use the public lands along the river by prohibiting 
camping and the use of motorized vehicles. The camping/vehicle closure area encompasses
almost a mile on the north bank of the West Walker River with adjacent land that the BLM 
estimates includes about 51 acres.

"This is an important step," said O'Hanlon, "but we still have to stop the hillside destruction 
by off-road vehicles and create a management plan that will repair decades of damage." 
Members of the Wilson Canyon Alliance envision transforming the Wilson Canyon public 
access area into regional park that includes not only camping and off-road vehicle activities, 
but riverside trails for disabled people, a nature center with interpretive information on 
Nevada's natural heritage. 

"We see this as a rare and ideal place to create a world-class regional park that will not only 
allow more people to use the area with less harmful impacts, but also attract visitors from all 
over the world who want to enjoy the novelty and beauty of a river flowing through the high 
desert of northern Nevada," said O'Hanlon.

Journalists may contact Larry O'Hanlon at 505-301-9003.       

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