March Legislative Issue/Land Use Report
By Roy Ulrich
Posted March 14, 2018
Next week I’ll be in Phoenix at trails conference addressing how to keep riding areas we used to drive out of town to go to, open now that they’re surrounded by urban growth.
-
ADOPT AN AREA (JEAN): A cleanup area map (fig. 1) was drawn and presented to the Competition Committee last September. Our value per volunteer hour is based on determination by Nevada Commission on OHVs ($23/HR). Not having better data for cost of OHV operation, the in-kind value of operation of all vehicles is USGSA’s determination for automobiles and light trucks.
What’s missing is some structure to collect signatures of volunteers on the BLM form, and a schedule and duty roster to ensure we fulfill our commitment and have record of monitoring/trash pickup.
Our primary commitment to this project is volunteer labor. Our having an empty duty roster, I recommend against our making a commitment to adopt an area. All is in place except our commitment to do it.
Fig. 1
-2.GREAT BASIN (SAGEBRUSH STEPPE) ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY: Focused on hazardous fuels reduction and range restoration comment period closed September 22. https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG
-3.BLM SNDO 2018 RMP revision public comment period extended to March 23. The issues and contact info have been addressed in previous reports. Comment or your opinion won’t be heard. This RMP revision is important. It will hurt us if implemented as written. We can make a difference if enough of us work together to make our voices heard. Use comments submitted by MRAN as a template for your comments. MRAN’s comments were provided to all by email and posted on Facebook, and I asked they be posted on racemran.com as January Land Use Report. BLM’s RMP revision site is: https://go.usa.gov/xnBqm
-4.USAF TTR EXPANSION: The Air Forces wants to expand its test range boundaries.
Alt. 1, is no change, labeled the “status quo” alternative.
Alt. 2, no expansion of current boundary, but USAF have ready access to north and south range. Aircraft and munitions noise being prime considerations.
Alt. 3A, withdrawal of 18k acres north & south of Beatty that won’t affect us but could affect point to point races.
Alt. 3A-1 withdrawal of 15k acres north of Beatty modified to avoid race course conflicts.
Alt. 3B, 57k acres of buffer to public access that doesn’t affect us.
Alt. 3C, withdraw 57k acres west side of the range south of Alamo. Far enough south not to affect us. Lincoln Co. clubs please check for possible conflicts.
My proposed MRAN position statement is endorsement of Alt. 2 simply on principle. Fallon NAS is asking for 604,789 acres of public land to expand its bombing range at the same time USAF is asking for another plus 300,000 acres. Time to draw a line in the sand. Just a few years back USMC sought taking all of Johnson Valley to expand its training area. USMC 29 Palms is surrounded by Wilderness on 3 sides, but those areas were never on the table. A compromise was reached where USMC took some of Johnson Valley and shares the rest with OHVers. OHVers got to keep something, but it’s short of what we had. We get the short end of the stick because our claim to public land is secondary to everything else. Only our stepping up can change that.
Alternate 2 provides USAF continued use of current withdrawal area plus ready access to additional areas without expanding test range boundaries. We can share use of the proposed buffer zones. BRC/Sharetrails Don Amador recommends Alt. 3A-1. SNORE has endorsed that position. It’s a safe bet. It’s likely our only bet if we won’t put up at least half the fight other groups are to protect their stake. Maybe it’s where we should start.
Public comment period ends March 8.
NTTR Military Land Withdrawal Legislative EIS Website – Draft LEIS Documents:http://www.nttrleis.com/documents.aspx
NTTR Executive Summary: http://www.nttrleis.com/documents/review/ExecSumm_NTTR_DLEIS_Dec2017.pdf
LUR fig. 2. Beatty is just above bottom of the map.
LUR Fig. 3, east or Lincoln Co. side.
-5.BLM SNDO TORTOISE CBO CHANGES: October races in SNDO are out. BLM SNDO is working on areas for year-round races without penning tortoises.
-6.SOLAR PLANT SITING: BLM holds Designated Leasing Area Siting Forum March 13
LAS VEGAS – The Bureau of Land Management will hold a Designated Leasing Area Siting Forum for the Southern Nevada District on March 13 in the ballroom at the Santa Fe Station in Las Vegas. The forum is open to the public. Contact Lee Kirk at (702) 515-5155 or email jkirk@blm.gov.
-7.MRAN membership dues and donation the BRC/Sharetrails. https://sharetrails.org/membership-options/#business Basic membership renewal $125. I recommend sending $200.