Nevada is getting its first national monument, after Congress passed a measure setting aside nearly 23,000 acres full of prehistoric artifacts and bones.
Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus issued a statement Friday calling creation of Tule (TOO'-lee) Springs Fossil Beds National Monument a "mammoth" undertaking.
Prehistoric mammoth bones have indeed been unearthed at the site along the northern edge of the Las Vegas valley.
National monument designation had been sought by paleontologists, business groups, local governments and other organizations both for the site's historical significance and its potential as a tourist attraction.
The Las Vegas Metro Chamber issued a statement Friday calling the designation a historic milestone for Nevada.
The Tule Springs measure was among several natural resource measures that Congress passed with an annual national defense spending bill.
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