Preservation or development? Lawsuit seeks to protect Old Spanish Trail
A new federal lawsuit poses the question: Is the rich history of the West’s public lands worth more than energy development needed to meet growing demands across the country?
Environmental groups filed a complaint on Monday in Washington, D.C., alleging the Interior Department has failed to protect the Old Spanish Trail, a historic stretch of land spanning several states that early pioneers trekked to come across Las Vegas. Historians say the Native Southern Paiute, or Nuwuvi, used it as a travel route before that.
The plaintiffs claim the Interior Department has failed over 19 years to compile a comprehensive management plan for the trail and establish the boundaries within which the trail exists. The complaint says the National Trails System Act requires such a plan to be developed within two fiscal years of designation. The federal government recognized the trail under that law in 2002.
“The lack of a CMP with full (National Environmental Policy Act consideration) and a designated right-of-way for the Old Spanish Trail has resulted in piecemeal development decisions that have been chipping away at the Trail’s integrity for decades,” the plaintiffs wrote in the complaint.
The Interior Department and the Bureau of Land Management declined to comment on the lawsuit on Monday morning. The National Park Service did not respond to a request for comment. Environmentalists allege that assigning both the park service and the BLM to develop the management plan has resulted in inaction due to disagreements about the trail boundaries.
“The Old Spanish Trail is more than a relic of the past; it is a bridge to our shared history and a source of inspiration and recreation for future generations,” said plaintiff John Hiscock, a former park service superintendent from Utah. “Protecting the Old Spanish Trail is not just a local concern, but a national imperative.”
Threat of Southern Nevada solar
The trail faces distinct threats, including mass solar development, mining projects, and leasing for oil and gas, the groups said in a joint news release. In Southern Nevada, near Pahrump especially, a handful of solar farms stand to alter the trail forever.
Nevada has become the nation’s focal point for future solar development, with the BLM’s Western Solar Plan setting aside the most land of any state for that purpose.
The groups name the area of the Gemini Solar project, northeast of Las Vegas, as a “a large and pristine section of the Trail (that) was obliterated.”
“Because there is no comprehensive management plan for the trail, the BLM has a default excuse to accommodate the wishes of each solar developer over taking action to protect the trail and associated viewshed for future generations,” Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of desert watchdog organization Basin and Range Watch, said in a statement.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X and @alanhalaly.bsky.social on Bluesky.