Federal, state, local and tribal officials are marking creation of a new national monument in a fossil-rich area at the northern edge of the Las Vegas valley.
The Monday event at Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is the culmination of a campaign led by paleontologists, business groups, local governments and others who focused on the site's historical significance and its potential as a tourist attraction.
U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and Dean Heller, Congress members Dina Titus and Steven Horsford, the mayors of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, and Las Vegas Paiute Tribal Council Chairman Benny Tso are due to take part in the ceremony.
Ice Age fossils including mammoths, bison, American Lions and sloths as big as cars have been found in the more than 35-square-mile site.
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