Why Are We Still Fighting Over Red Rock?

When it comes to local mottos, we've got a few: #VegasStrong, "What happens here, stays here," and "it's a dry heat." Over the last couple decades, some locals have added "Save Red Rock" to their list. That's because the legal fights over where, how, and whether to develop near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area have become long-term, entrenched battles. The Nevada Independent's environment reporter Daniel Rothberg recently wrote an in-depth investigative piece detailing the latest twists and turns in developer Jim Rhodes' lawsuit against the county, which he claims has stalled his plans to construct a high-density residential development abutting the park.

Daniel joins us today to help us put this lawsuit (and development around Red Rock, broadly) into context: What makes a project like Rhodes' different from, say, the construction at Bonnie Springs? Why should we care about the impact of a road through the desert? And who gets to make decisions about the lands bordering our national conservation areas?