WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging the Biden Administration to support a national monument designation at Bahsahwahbee, also known as Swamp Cedars, in eastern Nevada. In the letter, Rosen and Cortez Masto wrote in strong support of the proposal from the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, the Ely Shoshone Tribe, and the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe that seeks to preserve this area of sacred and spiritual significance. The senators’ offices have engaged with local, state, and Tribal stakeholders on this proposal, and they reiterated the need to continue engaging all stakeholders on this issue. The Nevada State Legislature has also supported this proposal by passing bipartisan resolutions calling on Congress and the President to make the designation.
“We write to you today in support of a national monument at Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) in Eastern Nevada,” wrote the senators. “Throughout our time in Congress, one of our top priorities has been to engage with Tribal nations to understand and advance their priorities, including the protection and commemoration of places of cultural and historic importance. This includes a recent proposal for a national monument at Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) in Eastern Nevada.”
“For the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, the Ely Shoshone Tribe, and the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Bahsahwahbee is an area unlike any other in the world,” the senators continued. “That is why, over the coming months, we look forward to working closely with you and having meaningful and productive conversations with the Tribes, state and local communities, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure this proposal includes input from all interested parties and moves forward as part of a collaborative process. We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about this proposal and also encourage you to engage with local stakeholders, state and local government officials, and representatives from the Tribes to further discuss the proposed monument.”
The full letter can be found here.
Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto are strong supporters of Nevada’s public lands and efforts to conserve culturally-significant lands. They recently celebrated the designation of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument after working with the Nevada congressional delegation to push for the designation. Earlier this year, they helped secure $417 million in funding for 47 projects to help protect Nevada’s public lands and rehabilitate wildlife habitat. They will continue engaging Tribal governments, local communities, and other stakeholders to ensure all voices are heard throughout the process to designate a national monument at Bahsahwahbee in Northern Nevada.
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