Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is an American national monument 10 miles northwest of Las Vegas in Clark County in southern Nevada . It was designated by President Barack Obama on December 19, 2014 with an area of 22,650 acres (9,170 hectares ). Obama's expulsion was preceded by a local campaign for the permanent protection of the landscape. In the United States Congress in December 2014, both chambers voted in favor of expulsion.
It is under the administration of the National Park Service . The area is of importance for paleontology . Many fossil finds have been made. Ice Age paleontological artifacts of species such as prairie mammoth , camelops and American lions have been found. The fossils are 7,000 to 250,000 years old.
The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is located in the Upper Las Vegas Wash and protects part of the Tule Springs in the Mojave Desert . The area is a significant desert ecosystem. The very rare species Arctomecon californica from the poppy family (Papaveraceae) occurs. This species of plant has various names such as Las Vegas Bearpoppy ( Las Vegas Bearpoppy ), California Bearpoppy , Golden Bearpoppy, and Yellow-flowered desert poppy .
Parts of the area were still used by off-road drivers after they were expelled. Garbage and scrap were also dumped. After the designation as a National Monument, prohibited target practice was carried out. When the area was under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management , target practice was allowed. These exercises resulted in a death from a ricochet in March 2014. In addition to the fatality, there were several gunshot wounds in the area. To prevent such incidents, the National Park Service wants to build a fence to protect the National Monument .
Web links
- National Park Service : Tule Springs Fossil Beds (official site )
- The American Southwest: Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (English)
Coordinates: 36 ° 22 ′ 15.6 ″ N , 115 ° 18 ′ 21.6 ″ W.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fence Proposed To Keep ORVs, Target Shooters Out Of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument National Parks Traveler, November 20, 2016