6/19/03-A bill calling for fencing to be erected along state Route 159 in Red Rock Canyon has died.
Under AB276, $130,000 would have been transferred from the state’s general fund to the state Transportation Department for fencing to be placed along 159 to separate wild burros and vehicles. The burros, which like animals in parks and other natural attractions come down to roads for handouts, can become a traffic hazard.
In addition to the fence, the bill called for state officials to find two places for “burro bridges,” underpasses where the burros and other livestock can move underneath the highway.
The bill was in the Assembly Committee on Ways & Means when the regular legislative session ended June 2.

5/13/03-In the old days of the American West, it was burro power, teams of mules or donkeys that moved freight across the vast spaces.
Wagon drivers were replaced long ago by truckers, and their 18-wheeled vehicles have taken the place of 18-burro teams, but the stubborn animals remain in many parts of the West, now running wild in many areas, including Red Rock Canyon.
The burros, which like animals in parks and other natural attractions come down to roads for handouts, can become a traffic hazard.
Now, ironically, taxes from America’s truckers may help pay for measures to protect the burros in that area.
Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas, has sponsored AB276, a measure designed to protect the animals and drivers on state Route 159, which passes through the area. The bill calls for fencing along the highway to separate burros from Buicks in the scenic and popular area.
In addition to the fence, the bill calls for state officials to find two places for “burro bridges,” underpasses where the burros and other livestock can move underneath the highway.
The bill is before the Assembly’s Committee on Ways and Means. For bill status, call (775) 684-1385.