Familiarize yourself with rules of recreation

Few things are more nerve-racking than seeing red and blue flashing lights in your rear-view mirror. We live in a world where politicians and government organizations have created so many laws or rules that it is nearly impossible to know them all.

And that leaves us all vulnerable to legal action for violations born in ignorance.

Outdoor enthusiasts are particularly vulnerable because we move in and out of legal jurisdictions that follow boundaries of public lands managed by various agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the National Forest Service and the National Park Service. Each of these agencies has its own mission and thus its own laws or rules. Sure, certain laws remain the same as you move from one jurisdiction to another, but differences also exist.

Historically, those who visit their Forest Service and BLM lands have experienced more freedom than those who visit lands managed by the Park Service. The Forest Service and BLM manage lands for multiple uses with minimal regulation, while the Park Service follows a limited-use, high-regulation philosophy, even at areas such as Lake Mead.

Unfortunately, that difference often catches Lake Mead visitors unaware because they aren’t expecting a recreation area to be managed under a philosophy that is similar to that governing a national park such as Yosemite or Zion.

And knowledge is power. It also is the key to preventing legal entanglements.

For those who frequent Lake Mead or Lake Mohave, or are planning to visit those waters, that key can be found in a document called the Superintendent’s Compendium. In terms of outlining and explaining those rules that might catch you unaware, this document goes beyond the brochures and other publications received when entering the recreation area.

The compendium summarizes park — recreation area in this case — specific rules that have been implemented at the discretion of the local superintendent. These rules apply to activities such as fishing, hunting, camping, alcohol consumption and possession, boating, scavenging, off-highway travel and sanitation. In addition to a listing of rules, the compendium offers the rationale behind rules.

Did you know the consumption of alcoholic beverages, or the possession of an open container of alcohol whose contents have been partially removed, is prohibited within a one-mile radius of Placer Cove? I do not consume alcohol, so this doesn’t affect me, but I’m sure that for many of you drinking a beer is as much a part of your fishing regimen as baiting your hook.

So here’s the rationale: “Easy access to the lake has made this location popular for a variety of different uses … Late-night parties, alcohol consumption and underage drinking have contributed to visitor conflicts and safety concerns in this area. Alcohol use is a factor in falling/jumping injuries and fatalities and in drowning.”

The rationale statement goes on to explain that law enforcement efforts to curb “aberrant behavior related to the consumption of alcohol” have been ineffective, so this prohibition was put into place.

The Superintendent’s Compendium is available online at www.nps.gov/lake/parkmgmt/planning.htm and easily can be downloaded and printed. Being familiar with its contents could save you some money and park rangers some paperwork.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.