WASHINGTON — A vast sweep of rural Nevada marked by lonely desert valleys, craggy mountain ranges and both ancient and modern art will become the newest addition to the nation’s inventory of protected landscapes today.
President Barack Obama will sign a proclamation designating the Basin and Range National Monument on 704,000 acres — 1,100 square miles — of Lincoln and Nye counties, the White House announced Thursday night.
It will be the second monument created in Nevada within eight months and will join 21 others in the West and more than 100 around the country.
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Also expected to attend is artist Michael Heizer, who has spent decades creating a massive earthen sculpture called “City” in the midst of the newly protected area.
After a surge of heat-related workplace injuries in Nevada, state regulators approved a permanent heat stress standard Wednesday to protect the safety and health of indoor and outdoor workers.
