The BLM is once again stirring up a storm. This time it is a
bit more muted, while working to fly under the radar with their paper work but
nonetheless, dramatic in its long term effects on Clark County.
Living in rural northeast Clark County, public lands are a
part of all our lives. All of our communities are surrounded by these lands.
Some of us own property that bound public managed land. Some of our livelihoods
depend on access to our public lands and all of us depend on utilities to
deliver electrical and water services that cross these lands and most of us
recreate in one form or another on this government managed land. With so much
dependency on these lands it would be assumed that both parties would be
thoroughly involved in designing a management plan. However as precedent has proven,
this is never the case.
The BLM has released their latest management proposals for
the Southern Nevada region. These proposals include changing the status for
over 250,000 acres of land. For
residents of the Virgin and Moapa Valleys the impact hits close to home. The
Mormon Mesa between the two valleys is greatly impacted, Gold Butte stands to
take even further alterations as well as almost every other hill, valley, wash
and mesa stands to get some designation or label of one kind or another.
The BLM has asked for the public to comment on their
proposal and has given but a short window to do so. The closing date for
comments is January 7, 2015. They are not asking for our feelings or how it
will impact our lives but critical analysis down to the page and section that
we think is faulty or where they have made flawed analysis. The irony of it all
is that the document is heavy on fluff and light on substance and actual data
to sink your teeth into. They don’t even have decent maps by which the public
can scrutinize what is happening in their back yard.
With the timeline given to review the documents the BLM is
in essence saying “trust us”. However this is a hard pill to swallow since all
the agency has done since 1976 FLPMA is erode the relationship they once had
will the people.
If the BLM doesn't even have the courage and decency to come
out to the rural communities that they are hemming in with their latest
proposal, then I think there should be and extension of time at least until
they can come out and give detailed presentations on their plans with decent
maps, the science behind their rationale and how this will directly impact the
rural citizens of Clark County and all those who frequent the back country. They
have said this proposal has taken them almost six years to produce, well I
think at least a year to review the said documents accompanied by presentations
to the communities and widely available maps with clear information should be
the least they can do.
The BLM’s latest proposal to so narrowly manage our public
lands clearly, reveals that this agency is disoriented and adrift, readily
succumbing to the political breeze spilling over the Potomac.
Posts
