|
|
|
|
|
2080 Cubic yards |
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
Last Updated 02/23/2010
PNMTA |
|
|
||
By Keith Trout • News Editor , RGJ• March 14, 2008 An uninformed passerby at Smith Valley High School last Wednesday evening might taken in the throng of vehicles parked outside and wondered if graduation had come early this year. But the source of the sizeable crowd gathered at the school that night was a planned presentation, held as part of the Smith Valley Advisory Council meeting, on the proposed wilderness area designation for southern Lyon County and parts of Mineral and Esmeralda counties. And the comments expressed during the more than two-hour session atend by an estimated 500 people, were unanimously opposed to that wilderness designation, including several elected officials who attended the meeting as well. The presentation was organized by the newly-formed 'Coalition for Public Access' and drew a packed house to the SVHS gym. And those attending were not limited to Smith Valley residents, as the crowd drew folks from Mason Valley, Mineral and Douglas Counties, and other areas and organizations beyond. Representatives of Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign were in attendance, as was another representing Congressman Dean Heller, and each said the wilderness designation was not proposed by the Congressmen, but by the wilderness groups advocating the inclusion of land in the Lyon County/Mineral County lands bill. Matt Tuma, in charge of rural affairs for Sen. Reid in his Reno office, and Kevin Kirkeby, Sen. Ensign's rural Nevada coordinator, did most of the talking, while also in attendance was Verita Prothro, Rep. Heller's district director. No one from the groups advocating the wildernes inclusion in the lands bill, including the Nevada Wilderness Project/Friends of Nevada Wilderness, was present at the meeting; but SVAC Chairman Megan Hunewill did announce she'd been told those groups would attend the April SVAC meeting. The Congressional representatives said they aren't fast tracking the bill, and are trying to get public input on it, with Tuma saying, "We're trying to get everyone's input"». This is the beginning." But later, when pressed about wilderness land desingations being included in the Clark, Lincol and White Pine County lands bills, Tuma did add, "Wilderness is a component in any lands bill." Universally, the presentations organized by the Coalition for Public Access (CPA) expressed disapproval of wilderness land, and the questions and comments afterwards from the audience opposed any wilderness land designation at all, with many such comments drawing applause. A comment by Jim Sanford of Yerington, a guest columnist and former publisher of the Mason Valley News, drew a standing ovation when he said to the officials present, "From what we've heard tonight, unless you're deaf, the people here don't want any wilderness." Two representatives of the Toiyabe-Humboldt National Forest, Bridgeport Ranger District were also present, although they only spoke briefly. It was reported the Forest Service wasn't involved in the request for wilderness land. Emery Thran, spokesman for the CPA, said the USFS, as part of a plan update, was analyzing areas for wilderness designation and much of the area proposed by the Nevada Wilderness Project/Friends of Nevada Wilderness wasn't included for wilderness, or meeting wilderness criteria in the plan. Tuma and Kirkeby said the wilderness land was requested by the wilderness advocacy groups, and the land in question wasn't requested by Sen. Reid, although other comments indicated many people believe the senator is requesting the wilderness land. "We didn't propose it, it was proposed to us," Kirkeby said, with Tuma adding, "A number of folks within Lyon and Mineral counties" had come to the Congressmen's office expressing interest in a lands bill, noting a lands bill could provide federal land for schools and other local governmental uses. In addition, Prothro said, "I think everyone can be a part of the process" and that said public input is wanted. After a few minutes for the SVAC to take care of some board business, the meeting was turned over to CPA, and Thran offered introductory remarks, explaining how the grassroots, volunteer organization started in Smith Valley. Thran also served as moderator and likewise warned the audience several times to 'keep in line,' indicating that Lyon County Sheriff's deputies were present and would escort anyone out who disrupted the meeting. Besides the presentations, maps of the area in question, which included 287,000 acres in the wilderness proposal, and other information, were mounted on the walls. Speaking at the meeting were CPA representatives of varied "perspectives" who expressed their opinions about the negative effects of a wilderness designation, including: grazing, equestrian, off-road vehicles, aviation, bird watching, endangered species, mining, hunting and camping, trapping, local business and historical/cultural. A letter approved by the Smith Valley Park & Recreation Board opposing the wilderness area was also read. Marianne Leinassar, a sixth generation member of the Fulstone family in Smith Valley, spoke on behalf of grazing on public lands, saying the wilderness designation, while it wouldn't prevent grazing, would "encumber" the ability of grazing permittees to do business. She noted Lyon County had an ordinance calling for "no more wilderness." She also said grazing is the best tool to control and save federal grazing lands, open space and wildlife. Donna Hustace of Smith Valley spoke representing equestrian users of the potential wilderness land. She told of her mother, a longtime horsewoman who later suffered from Alzheimer's disease, wouldn't have been able to get into the wilderness area where motorized vehicles would be forbidden, joking she couldn't take her "mechanized camera along on the ride." She said she's spoken with people in California about wilderness land designation there and eventually there were restrictions related to horses, such as manure required to be hauled out, and weed free hay requirements. Phil Tucker of Smith Valley spoke about the negative economic impacts if off-road vehicles were forbidden from that large area, such as the loss of revenue for businesses, which involves many, he said, from the restrictions. He'd begun saying the Lyon County Republican Convention voted 164-0 for a platform opposing the wilderness land in Lyon County. Tucker also complained that the Forest Service process for wilderness land wasn't being used in this instance. Don Renner, an owner of Renner Equipment, spoke on behalf of local business owners, sayuign the difference between agricultural operations in Nevada and other states is that in Nevada 95 percent of the land is under federal control. He said wilderness could result in a 30 percent reduction in business. Dr. Robin Titus spoke on behalf of bird watchers, saying the limits on access from motorized vehicle prohibitions would make bird watching that much more difficult. She said the land should remain multi-use. Tracy Wolf said she was involved on the Governor's Task Force for the sage grouse, an effort to establish a program to keep the bird off the endangered species list. She said the wilderness prohibitions would prevent efforts established by the task force to improve sage grouse habitat, such as removing pinyon-juniper trees (by prescribed burns, aircraft, treatments, etc.), which are encroaching on sagebrush vegetation areas. She noted the Desert Creek sage grouse is a main area they addressed but it is in the proposed area. Paul Costa spoke on behalf of the impacts on mining and hunting and fishing, drawing applause three separate times, such as after reading part of the General Mining Act of 1872, saying "Nevada is mining" and after reading the federal "Multiple Use, Sustained Yield Act" passed in 1960 regarding management of the National Forests. He said that act allows for hunting and camping, which is popular in many areas proposed for wilderness designation, which would limit much of that use, while also saying it would increase the chances of wildfires. Longtime Smith Valley resident Jim O'Banion, who raises trout fish on his farm, spoke about historical perspectives, noting his ancestors (Zadoc Pierce) first came to Smith Valley in 1871. He said the wilderness act would result in "loss of freedom" for many whose use of the land would be inhibited, drawing applause. He asked for withdrawal of the wilderness request, saying it was "unnecessary and without merit." Dr. Andrea Burt, chairman of the SV Park and Recreation Board, read a letter dated March 5 and addressed to the elected officials that the board had approved. It asked for their support and help "opposing this ill-advised legislation," citing many of the recreational uses and accesses cited in other presentations. "We fear that our families and our children will not ever be able to enjoy the wonders of discovering the beautiful country that first drew us to the area." Al McNeil then spoke on behalf of trappers, noting much of what they do is within the proposed wilderness area and this would prevent much of what they do there. He said much more trapping occurs than most think, saying there are 350members of the Nevada Trap Association and about 125-150 trappers use this region. He said he traps beavers for free for local rancher/farmers but if they lost the ability to trap in wilderness areas, where they make money, he could no longer afford the free service. He also said without trapping of predators that birds and other wildlife would be reduced. The final presenter was Pat Murphy of the Nevada Fire Council who spoke about the negative impacts on battling wildfires with the wilderness designation, saying it could be "catastrophic" in terms of fire danger. He gave an example of the Walker Fire where an area where the endangered Lahontan Cutthroat is in creeks, limiting access and hurting firefighting efforts. The floor was then opened for questions from the crowd, with various questions that were answered, or attempted to be answered by the Congressional delegation representatives. To one question, Thran emphasized people should pay attention to the business sponsors or supporters of the groups proposing the wilderness lands. |
||
|
|
||