Letters to the editor for Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015

Keep Nevada’s wild places wild

I was pleased to read former Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall’s recent opinion piece, “Find the happy medium between conservation and development” on the importance of protecting public lands in northwestern Nevada. As Kate points out, the northwest region of Nevada that lies within the Carson City district has some of the most spectacular open spaces in the country, with characteristics that cannot be found anywhere else. Places like Petersen Mountain, the Excelsior Range, and Incandescent Rocks-Needle Rock region, for example, should certainly be preserved by the BLM for our enjoyment today and for future generations.

The final RMP for this district should work to protect the natural integrity of these places while providing the solitude and quiet recreation that outdoor seekers like myself cherish.

While I am an avid outdoor enthusiast, I also recognize how important the protection of our currently undisturbed, intact areas is to the economy of our region. These areas not only serve Nevadans who love the outdoors, but also serve as a draw for tourists who appreciate the wonders of our Western landscape that are so different from other parts of the country.

Where else can you find stunning views of both the Great Basin and the Sierra mountains like you can find on top of Tule? Or spend the day exploring starkly beautiful columns of rhyolite and pumice formed millions of years ago than in the Monte Cristo Range? I agree with Kate that these wild places deserve to be kept wild.

Donna N. Inversin

Carson City

Editor’s note: Kate Marshall’s opinion piece appeared on the Nevada Appeal’s website.

More on release of federal prisoners

This is in response to the article by Guy Farmer in reference to release of illegal immigrants from federal prison. There are a few points that need clarification.

First, the general release involves only 6,000 inmates from the federal prison system, and includes only nonviolent drug offenders, not rapists or murderers. Roughly 46,000 prisoners are among this category of non-violent drug offenders not affiliated with drug cartels.

Second, the recommendation came not from the Obama administration, but from the independent sentencing commission, and the recommendation was unanimous. “The releases are part of a shift in the nation’s approach to criminal justice and drug sentencing that has been driven by a bipartisan consensus that mass incarceration has failed and should be reversed ... Along with the commission’s action, the Justice Department has instructed its prosecutors not to charge low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who have no connection to gangs or large-scale drug organizations with offenses that carry severe mandatory sentences,” (Washington Post, via U.S. Justice Department, Oct. 6).

Third, among the prisoners slated for release, approximately one-third are non-resident, aka “illegals.” All of these non-resident releases will be deported, not released into American society. Justice officials stated: “About one-third are foreign citizens who will be quickly deported.”

I am not a proponent of illegal drugs, nor an apologist for the detrimental effects they cause on society. I merely thank you for the opportunity to clarify the situation.

Rex Norman

Carson City

Thank you for uplifting front pages

Thank you for the uplifting positive front pages of the Appeal. It is so great to see something beautiful or cute on the front page, instead of the negative, like most papers.

The picture of 14-month-old Jonathan eating snow brought a smile to my face and made my day a little brighter. Thanks again.

Donna Jensen

Carson City