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Last Updated 02/23/2010
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By Jim Sanford • Special to the MVN • March 14, 2008 In a 2 ½-hour meeting similar to the one in Smith Valley last week, nearly 200 Mineral County residents told three representatives to Nevada's congressional delegation to "Leave us alone!" when it comes to any wilderness designations in a Lyon-Mineral Lands Bill. Many of those residents meeting in the convention center in Hawthorne also heard for the first time a resolution adopted the previous day unanimously by the Mineral County Commissioners rejecting wilderness; and an appeal from that same commission to have Lyon and Esmeralda counties join them in such action. (See MC resolution reprinted in this edition of the MVN). In response to requests from representatives Matt Tuma of Senator Reid's office, Kevin Kirkeby from Senator Ensign's office and Verita Prothro from Congressman Heller's office for public input, MC commissioner and liason to the delegation Jerrie Tipton introduced and read the county's resolution which drew a round of applause from the audience. Tipton then pointed to a 1984 resolution in which the county has it "doesn't need a lands bill" and "thanks, but no thanks" to wilderness this time around as well. The general session was then opened to comments and questions with a lengthy list of Mineral County residents -- and six from Lyon County -- voicing concerns and opposition to the Nevada Wilderness Project's proposals. One question that surfaced several times during the session involved "Who is sponsoring, developing or writing this wilderness proposal?" The congressional reps stressed that the proposal did not come from the senators or congressman, but from the Nevada Wilderness Project and the meetings being held are part of the democratic process. Senator Reid's representative responded first, "No legislation has been drafted." And when asked, "Then why is this being called a lands bill proposal?'; to which Tuma said, "It's in the listening process." In response to another question, he said legislation could be written by June and completed by the end of 2008. Kirkeby chimed in, "Nobody is sponsoring this yet. It is a proposal from the Nevada Wilderness Project." He later explained that under the process all Nevada lands bills passed so far were sponsored by the state's congressional delegation and that would remain the case if any proposal came forth for Mineral and Lyon counties. Afraid of backroom deals MC Commissioner Richard Bryant said, "We are scared to death of these backroom deals that protect special interests at the expense of everyone in this room." A resident representing the Walker Lake Working Group said they had been told the wilderness proposal could be stopped at any time, "so let's pull the plug". Tuma explained wilderness is only one component of a lands will and "we want to see if there is room to compromise." Kirkeby said he could not deny that the plug could be pulled but "we'd like the opportunity to work through the process." To those responses, Tipton asked why a lands bill has to include wilderness, adding, "Let us people manage our own lands and watershed. If we had the local community managing these things you wouldn't have the problems you do now." Another person from the lake's Working Group asked, "Senator Reid says he wants to save the lake. How can he save the lake with a wilderness area?" Kirkeby responded, "Wilderness is not part of the plan to get water to Walker Lake. We are asking is there an opportunity to free up water on the system that could actually get water to the lake? Some are saying, 'Yes, we can give up some water.'" How can you monitor wilderness and what happens if someone gets caught violating its provisions? asked another resident. Kirkeby said "fines and penalties" can be established for violations, but confirmed that enforcement is a problem as the U.S. Forest Service has difficulties with enforcement in areas presently under its jurisdiction. It was indicated the Forest Service has one enforcement officer to cover one-million acres. Tipton said she feared the burden will fall onto local law enforcement at additional costs created locally. On the subject of land disposal proposals via the Bureau of Land Management as part of a lands bill, Kirkeby said up to 90,000 acres in Lincoln County and 45,000 acres in White Pine came in their lands bills. "Local governments would decide when, where and how much land," he added, "and lands would not be sold to block access." Kirkeby explained that when public lands are designated for sale through the BLM, the proceeds of those sales go as follows: 5% to Nevada's schools, 10% to the county, and the remainder to the BLM "but that stays local". He said wildlife management remains under state jurisdiction and sold land can be use to develop parks, industrial parks, off-road use such as a trail system, to improve habitat, land for Indian tribes for economic development, and rehab projects. Fear effect on training Restrictions seen as damaging to "vital military training" for the Hawthorne munitions depot drew special emphasis during the session. One resident charged, "This is part of a nationwide push to deny access by groups opposed to the war." He asserted that these special interest groups provide contributions to members of Congress and pointed to an adverse economic effect if training is curtailed. Kirkeby labeled the training "vital to our nation" and explained that both senators had stressed in a conference call earlier in the week with local media that it would be "ridiculous" to endanger that training effort in any way. "Just because a wilderness group asks for something doesn't mean they will get it," he said. A resident pointed to "millions of acres in southern Utah "where people can't go thanks to wilderness", and added, "Congress did not follow the will of the people there." Senator Ensign's rep responded, "This is Nevada and we do things differently. The burden is on these wilderness groups. They have got to work with you local people." Congressman Heller's representative said, "I thought what the wilderness group asked for was shocking, but this is not a done deal. If this will benefit you somehow, please come forward and tell us what you want." Prothro later added, "I am definitely taking back your strong sentiment.," "Somebody is going to make a lot of money of this. We do not need people coming from other states to tell us what to do, leave us alone!" was a comment which drew another round of applause. Fight just like Yucca Mt. One resident called on the congressional delegation to fight wilderness "just like Yucca Mountain" and charged that the BLM and Forest Service are being "utilized to support wilderness", pointing to Hontoon Valley where she said "cattle have been kicked out" and military training halted. Others charged they doubted the congressional delegation really wants "to work with us, if so, why was Sen. Reid's state rep in town yesterday when our county commissioners were meeting and we didn't even know she was here?" When told the wilderness proposal is 1 ½ to 2 years old but the entire time frame for the proposal began back in 1998, the congressional reps were asked, "Why then is this proposal on the fast track and being rammed down our throats. Developers are getting involved now. What is the payoff here?" Tipton estimated it could take as long as 24 to 36 months "with the resources we have to provide accurate information to you. The madness has already started." She demanded answers to questions such as "Are we getting wilderness anyway?" and "Does a lands bill have to have wilderness?" within two weeks. "What drove these other lands bills was water for Las Vegas," said Don Orndorff, MC's park and recreation director. "We can't sell land we have here now. I don't see any reason to come to the table." The final speaker stressed, "Together we are stronger than we are separately", and he called for the counties to "make that loud and clear all the way to Washington, D.C." He called for an environmental stewardship under local management and to "keep politics out". |
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