Public Lands Battle In Nevada

There is an interesting situation developing in Boulder City, Nevada, a small community about 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Local activists are seeking to build casinos in the area where gambling has been banned for the 75 year history of the place. There is a proposal to take a 167 square mile area of public undeveloped open land and develop it as a sort of mini Las Vegas. In order to accomplish this everyone of the town's current 15,000 residents would receive a sum estimated at around $3.2 million!Some city leaders say the plan would not pass court scrutiny and others do not want development which would radically transform this now pristine desert area.The proponents of the development say this is too important a decision to be left to the city council and are circulationg a petition to have it voted on by local residents. This is similar to the current controversy here in my home town over beach development and access. The biggest difference here is that if the developers win the fight they will radically diminish public beach access rights and the beach environment but the local residents will not get paid anything for it!