LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Desert National Wildlife Refuge north of Las Vegas turns 85 today, and conservation groups want to see it protected forever.

The U.S. Senate is expected to hold a hearing in the coming months on the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. The bill would better protect 2 million acres in the refuge, Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area and more.

Kevin J. DesRoberts, U.S. Fish and Wildlife project leader for the four southern Nevada refuges in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, said public lands saw a huge jump in visitors during the pandemic.

"It's very important for people to have that access and be able to connect with nature and also to learn how to be good stewards," DesRoberts asserted. "Because the future of all these lands and the wildlife depends on people caring about them and being good stewards of the land."

Opponents concerned about government overreach say current protections are sufficient. The area is considered critical habitat for the desert bighorn sheep, the desert tortoise and hundreds of other species.

Grace Palermo, southern Nevada programs director for Friends of Nevada Wilderness, said the bill would stop a proposed 300,000-acre expansion of nearby Nellis Air Force Base.

"Some of their proposal includes putting in landing strips, lots of roads, fencing throughout," Palermo outlined. "And that's going to be very impactful for the bighorn sheep. They need these big spaces."

The bill also would give Clark County more money to manage its growth by building affordable housing and supporting initiatives to fight climate change.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

MONTICELLO, Utah -- The movement to restore the Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah gets a major boost this weekend when a hand-carved symbolic totem pole makes a stop Saturday on its tour from the west coast to Washington, D.C.

The Red Road to D.C. Totem Pole Journey is designed to highlight sacred sites across the U.S. that are at risk.

Angelo Baca, cultural resources coordinator for the nonprofit Utah Diné Bikéyah, a group working to restore and protect the national monument, explained that tribal communities with ancestral ties to Bears Ears are asking the Biden Administration to restore a significant portion of the area that was removed in 2017.

"We will want the full restoration and possible extension of the Bears Ears landscape, because it's the right thing to do," Baca contended. "Historically, socially, culturally and environmentally, a restoration of justice."

Shortly after taking office, then-President Donald Trump reduced the size of Bears Ears by 85% and neighboring Grand Staircase-Escalante by half. Former President Barack Obama ordered protected status for the areas in 2016.

Baca noted the totem pole's stop at Bears Ears is symbolic of tribal nations supporting each other.

"We've always pushed for the original proposal, the 1.9 million acres that need protection," Baca pointed out. "We've maintained the reduction by the previous administration was not done in good faith and on shaky legal ground."

The totem pole was hand-carved by Jewell James, a member of the Lummi Nation in Washington state, in honor of Native American Deb Haaland's being appointed Secretary of the Interior.

Following its 10-stop tour, the totem pole will be featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

"The significance of the totem pole stopping in Bears Ears is the solidarity and expression of support from many tribes across the nation for protecting sacred land," Baca remarked. "This is just a continuation of that respectful relationship that's already been established."

A blessing ceremony for the totem pole is set for 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time at the Bears Ears Monument. For those who cannot attend, the event will be livestreamed on Facebook.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

SEARCHLIGHT, Nev. -- The push for a new national monument about 60 miles south of Las Vegas has taken on added urgency, in the face of a new wind-farm proposal in the area.

The monument would be called Avi Kwa Ame, which is the Mojave Tribe's term for Spirit Mountain. The 380,000-acre monument would connect the Mojave National Preserve on the California-Nevada border with the Colorado River plateau.

Neal Desai, senior program director for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the landscape is holy ground for many Native Americans.

"This area is sacred to a dozen tribes," Desai explained. "It's tied to the creation story. It is the area where the universe started for the Yuman tribes along the river."

Opponents noted the area already has some federal protections. However, a national monument designation would preclude any future commercial development.

In recent weeks, town officials in Searchlight and Boulder City have endorsed the monument proposal.

In 2018, the Bureau of Land Management rejected a bid by a Swedish company to build the huge Crescent Peak wind farm.

Desai added he hopes the agency will also put a stop to the company's latest plans.

"That company is now proposing a 9,000-acre project in the same area," Desai noted. "It's just a new threat, and it's another reason why we need to get this monument established right away."

Advocates for the monument believe their cause is gaining momentum now that a Native American leader, Deb Haaland, has become U.S. Interior Secretary. In addition, the monument would help President Joe Biden reach his stated goal of protecting 30% of the country's public lands by 2030.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- North Central Pennsylvania will soon have 70 miles of new roads open to all-terrain vehicles, connecting the existing Potter and Tioga trails.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) said the pilot program will launch on July 16 and run through Sep. 26. It's opening state forest roads, snowmobile trails, and PennDOT roads previously not designated for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), in response to growing demand in the state for riding opportunities.

Wesley Robinson, press secretary for the DCNR, said the pilot will make longer ATV rides more accessible.

"There are a lot of people who have ATVs and might have to travel several hours to use them legally," Robinson explained. "That was a big reason behind this, because there's just a high level of interest in folks wanting to ride ATVs in the state."

The DCNR acknowledged environmental and noise concerns accompany the use of ATVs. Robinson pointed out during the pilot, they will conduct environmental monitoring to gauge its impact.

Sarah Corcoran, conservation program manager for the Sierra Club Pennsylvania chapter, said she hopes the agency examines the effects of illegal riding that could occur.

"It's going to be tough for folks to not be on those trails after the pilot's over," Corcoran cautioned. "I want to know what their enforcement practices are going to be during the pilot program, to make sure that folks are only riding where they're allowed to be riding."

She added the public comment period should open lines of communication to ensure concerns are addressed.

Henry Sorgen, president of the 1,500-member Central Mountains ATV Association in Clinton County, thinks improving ATV access can help support the local economy.

"That's what the pilot program is to prove to PennDOT, to DCNR, to Harrisburg," Sorgen argued. "That we can do this and bring in tourism and boost the sales of gas and food, and hotel and campground stays, in our region."

The pilot will reconvene in May 2022 for a second round, and will include a connector to the Tiadaghton State Forest and the Haneyville ATV Trail System in Lycoming and Clinton counties.