The SNPLMA of 1998, among other things, provides for funding of selected Capital Improvement projects within Clark County in southern Nevada. Under two separate SNPLMA awards, funding has been allocated for the BLM to establish a Museum/Interpretive Center and FRTC at the site of the historic Walking Box Ranch.

The first SNPLMA project provides for rehabilitation of the historic structures at the Walking Box Ranch and development of a museum/interpretive center. As specified in the project nomination, the goal of the museum/interpretive center project is to “[educate] the public about the historic site and also about the biological diversity and geological features of the Mojave Desert setting.”

The second SNPLMA project provides for the development of a FRTC at the Walking Box Ranch. As specified in the project nomination, the goal of the FRTC project is “for the ranch to become a recognized facility for national training and research on important arid lands issues.”

By establishing the Walking Box Ranch Museum/Interpretive Center, the BLM has an opportunity to develop a facility dedicated to promoting public appreciation of a historic southern Nevada site, to preserve some of the best examples of architecture and building materials representative of the time period of the early 1930s, and to provide a venue for public education about the fragile ecosystems and public land management of the Mojave Desert.

By establishing the Walking Box Ranch FRTC , the BLM has the opportunity to partner with the Nevada System of Higher Education (formerly UCCSN) in developing a facility dedicated to understanding and managing the fragile ecosystems centered on the Mojave Desert. The Walking Box Ranch FRTC is envisioned as becoming the flagship property within an integrated network of field educational, research, and training sites located within and focusing on southern Nevada’s natural and cultural resources.

Las Vegas is the 11^th fastest growing population center in the country (City Mayors n.d.). Growth is now extending south along the Interstate 15 (I-15) – Colorado River corridor. This growth is expected to accelerate with future construction of the Ivanpah airport and completion of a new bridge spanning the Colorado River, providing improved access from Arizona. The Walking Box FRTC would provide southern Nevada with a research and training center for long-term monitoring of the effects of urbanization on adjacent public lands, and the resulting effects of the creation of a mosaic of natural and urbanized environments extending south from Las Vegas.

By virtue of its location, the Walking Box FRTC would become a key center for students, public land management agency personnel, researchers, and the public to develop a greater understanding of critical components of Mojave Desert ecosystems. These ecosystems are vulnerable to urbanization and require careful attention in future resource management plans. The facility would become a key portal into the nearby Mojave National Preserve, assuming the critical role of introducing visitors from around the globe as well as Nevadans to the Mojave Desert and teaching them about desert environments.

The Walking Box Ranch museum/interpretive center and the FRTC present a unique opportunity for exploring issues and opportunities related to sustainability in the desert, including both historic sustainable practices and modern sustainable or “green” technologies. The BLM proposes to design and develop the museum/interpretive center and FRTC , including both construction and programming, consistent with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation standards.