Metrics to Management

Creating Practical Public Lands Policy

I am currently employed as a computer programmer. As a part of every application that I write I build a metrics component within the application. I track what functionality in the application gets used and how often. I do this because it allows me to make informed decisions about the applications that I manage. It allows me to take my metrics, things that I know, and translate that into a better management plan or process for the applications that I am tasked with maintaining. It is my opinion, that this same principle can be applied to managing our public lands.

While trying to sift and sort through all the claims and accusations about what is and what is not taking place at Gold Butte I have heard a lot of different claims from all sides. Working to come up with real world solutions, rather than hope a new political label will fix the “problem”, I thought I would try and gather what metrics I could on public lands at Gold Butte. How can we make management decisions based on abstracted hypothesis and unfounded assumptions?

If people, groups or management agencies have specific concerns about our public lands we have to sit down, list them out and come up with real world, practical solutions for each specific concern. The message that we sent to our representatives is something I truly believe; that we support a fair, transparent and open process to developing a management plan for our public lands. Collaboration and data create the opportunity to deliver results.

Increased Usage (Traffic Data and Visitor Count)
One of the biggest concerns that you hear and read over and over is about the increased usage of Gold Butte for a recreational destination. I won’t point out the obvious conflicting rationale of this claim coupled with, so we need to give Gold Butte more recognition. I will save that for a later post, but it’s something to think about.

In many peoples rational for whatever cause they champion you will hear the claim that there is increased traffic and usage out at Gold Butte. I am not disputing this claim however I wanted some actual numbers to in fact see what the increase in usage at Gold Butte is. I made contact with the BLM requesting this data along with other statistics relating to Gold Butte. Would you like to know what the actual increase of usage over time is? Me too! The BLM does not have any data, past or present, with regard to traffic or visitor counts for this region.

I am not disputing that the number of people that visit Gold Butte is growing. However, to use this rationale at face value with absolutely no numbers to back it up is foolish. People are making life altering management decisions for public lands, whether political or by the managing agency, with no actual data. The basis is nothing but elusive assumptions. How can you measure success unless your only goal is to restrict total access without baseline information and a clear and open objective?

Rangers
I have heard the argument that we need more rangers to patrol Gold Butte. I do not have a stance on this because I don’t know enough about policing public lands for me to say one way or the other. Some simple questions that I have asked, that would help me better understand, I have never got answered. How many rangers do we need? Is this number calculated off the sheer acreage of the particular region? Is it based off of incident reports and tickets from the field?

When I requested the traffic data for Gold Butte I also asked for data on incidents in the Gold Butte region, both policing and cataloged incidents for cultural sites. I was told that there is some data for the last few years however this information is not available to the public. For people to use this rationale for hopes of getting an NCA without the proper data is short sighted and detrimental to other public lands within the BLM’s purview. This would do nothing but pilfer resources from other public lands within the state. Stressing one place and stripping others of their recognition.

If we are going to find legitimate solutions to the problems that face our public lands we have to first be able to define the problem, have a goal or solution we want to reach, have base line data to gage our progress, and continue to track metrics until we can honestly claim success or failure. There has to be accountability on all sides of the table. We cannot continue to allow people, agencies or special interest the luxury to hide behind a cloud of vagaries due to the lack of accurate and freely available information.

Metrics create accountability and accountability is like disclosure….its nice when there is some.

Tip of the Iceberg

The other day I was reading an article in the High Country News about a planned pipeline through the Ruby Mountains for the delivery of natural gas. The quick synopsis of the article was that the normal “watch dog groups” and other eco-nut groups were not fighting this pipeline but supporting it. What? Really? Well the motive behind their silence is due to the fact that the company working the project offered to pay 22 million over ten years to these groups in the name of conservation. Well hell, if I was bribed I would keep my mouth shut too. 

Whether it’s channels like the Land and Water Conservation Fund created by congress which diverts federal excise taxes from offshore oil and gas development operations, money generated by the sale of “disposable” BLM land, an up and coming energy bill with new taxes, the prospects of a new climate change bill with its own new assemblage of taxes or just plain bribery by big business; all are working to create a pool of money in the name of conservation. With this new capital resource every overeager, fanatic preservationist is lining up to fund “their” project. The means may differ but the end result is the same.

I am more of an environmentalist than most honest people are comfortable with, however, I won’t be misled to believe that these groups and the agenda of special interest isn’t really about chasing dollars and power. I have seen with my own eyes the dollars blown on the tortoise and Moapa Dace to be fooled into thinking that the endangered species best interests are at heart. I was directly affected by “Clinton's Legacy” so I have a hard time believing that politicians are worried about public lands and conservation but stimulated by the hopes of writing their name in American History‏ for their own notoriety.

It’s in the name of conservation however it’s in the spirit of money, greed and power. There is more than meets the eye…

We need to find a way to cut through all the wearied rhetoric and political nonsense and work to provide valid solutions to the real problems that face our public lands. 

Our Unified Message

Many people have asked me what can they can do to help or be involved to preserve our public lands and access to them. Well the answer is, call your representatives and tell them how you feel about Gold Butte. We need to send a unified message to Washington. The time has come when you need to take action in regards to Gold Butte. Legislation is not currently introduced pertaining to Gold Butte however it is on the minds of our representatives. We need to make sure that they understand how we feel about Gold Butte. We need to ensure that our voice, the people who they represent in Washington, is well understood. It’s easy to sit back and blame special interest or the representatives removed from their constituents over 2,000 miles away. However if we do not take the time to call and specifically make OUR voice heard we have no place to complain. We have to take part.

The November election is looming and many of our representatives are on deck for judgment. If there is ever a time when they are most compelled to listen, it is now. We need to make certain that they clearly understand that the people who vote them in or out have a voice and demand to be represented. If you love Gold Butte, if you love access to your public lands and want a fair and evenhanded process to manage our lands you need to call your representatives TODAY and let them know.

Partners In Conservation and members of the Public Lands Conservation Committee have helped to put this message together:

“I respectfully request that Congresswoman Titus (or Senator Reid, etc.) replies to me (you will need to give your mailing address) and lets me know if SHE WILL SUPPORT A FAIR, OPEN, AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR GOLD BUTTE THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THE MEETINGS HELD FOR THE LINCOLN COUNTY PUBLIC LANDS BILL OF 2005 WHEREIN EVERYONE MET AND WORKED THROUGH THE SPECIFIC ISSUES TOGETHER. GOLD BUTTE IS TOO CONTROVERSIAL, TOO IMPORTANT, TOO BIG OF AN AREA TO NOT HAVE A SERIES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC ISSUES. I respectfully expect a reply to this request and if Congresswoman Titus will support a fair, open, and transparent series of public meetings, whom may I contact to get on a notification list?”

We believe that now is not the time to rant and rave about ‘no wilderness’, ‘no NCA’, etc. That message is falling on deaf ears and they hide behind the Clark County Commissioner’s Resolution of Support.

• Phone calls are the best, then letters, then emails
• We must be respectful; being dis-respectful gives them a reason to discard our comments
• We must be united and all say the same message (see above)
• A personal comment w/ the unified message would have significant impact because that demonstrates that we are united in our message, but that our phone calls, comments are personal, coming from individuals and NOT a mass mailing

Congresswoman Titus: Phone: (202) 225-3252

Senator Reid: Phone: 202-224-3542 
(or Toll Free for Nevadans): 1-866-SEN-REID (736-7343)

Senator Ensign: Phone: (202) 224-6244


Request that they let you know where they stand on the issues.

Please do not put this off until tomorrow. We need to let them know how we feel TODAY. Please call our representatives and send the message to Washington that you support a fair, open, and transparent process to managing our public lands.

Take Back Utah

Help support our friends and neighbors......Take Back Utah

http://www.takebackutah.org/

"Wilderness" is the word the environmentalist's hide behind when they are trying to close our public lands to recreation.




Take Back Utah protects access to our public lands and defends the freedom of all American’s to explore and experience America’s Wild Places, while preserving America’s small town economies and rural lifestyles through responsible land use.

Aug 28th Rally

 

Please visit the site http://www.takebackutah.org/and help in any way that you can to protect our public lands

 

Past Present and Future

Earlier this week Stan Hardy and I had the opportunity to take a few members of our congressional delegation, specifically from Dina Titus’s office, out to Gold Butte. To their credit we actually went to Gold Butte. The purpose of the trip was obviously to talk politics but more importantly it was about seeing and experiencing the country we are talking about. It is one thing to talk about 350,000 acres but it is entirely another to travel down the rough roads and experience this backcountry. To experience this vast country, which is more than the few acres around Whitney Pockets, you can start to understand the complexity that surrounds what has become known as Gold Butte.

Some of my goals for the trip were to help show how truly large and expansive this country is. I wanted them to see that yes some areas get some high usage however that is only a small percentage of this country. I wanted them to see that this country is varied and diverse both in its physical characteristics but also with its rich history and strong sense of place which is derived from all of these qualities together. Native American heritage, pioneer heritage, mining, cattle ranching, and outdoor recreation are all important pieces of the landscape at Gold Butte. When talking about managing the landscape we need to see it for what it is, vast, diverse and many things to many people.

 (Horse Springs)

It is one thing to talk about managing the precious resource of water and the health of springs in a conference room however it is entirely another to go out and see the overgrowth of invasive plants like tamarisk choking a spring to death due to lack of proper management.

(Azure Windmill)

It is one thing to look at pictures of a dried up water tank and broken windmill but it is entirely another to see its dry and dusty tank while looking at a picture of it from 15 years ago brimming with water and the surrounding area green and lush helping to sustain life. When the question is asked why it is not running water now and the answer is because the BLM dismantled the windmill you can start to get a feel for the frustration felt by so many who have loved this country and watched it change over a few short years.

(Whitmore Cabin)

It is one thing to listen to the frustration from local residents who had to tear down their families cabin built in the early 20th century however it is entirely another to go out and look at pictures from then and now and see the loss of these historic landmarks.

(TreasureHawk Mine)

It is one thing to hear people’s thoughts and feelings on the Treasure Hawk Mine and how so many are working to erase our history from the landscape however it is another to see the piles of rubble and debris lying on the desert floor. When the question is asked why are there still open shafts not even fenced while so much effort has been given to tearing down the mining shacks you can start to understand the frustration of those of us who aren’t driven by the wilderness agenda.

It is important to see how the management style put in place has a direct impact on the landscape both physically but also within the community.

Sitting under a cedar tree eating lunch and having an honest conversation about the place we are working on was to me productive to say the least. Part of the message that I tried to convey was that this is about the past, present and future of our public lands and who and what is having a direct impact out on the ground level. It is easy to boil the issues down to access however access isn’t as easy to tackle as many would hope. It is not just about access today, but more importantly it’s about access tomorrow. Is it visual access or is it motorized access? Is it access by foot or horse? Is it access by a licensed vehicle or is it access through an OHV?

When working to build long term solutions for Gold Butte the community and historic values need to be the framework for the future management of the area. These are the values that have shaped this great country into what it is. These are the values that will preserve the place that so many have fallen in love with.

If I truly thought that the introduction of legislation and some new federal label would solve the issues that face Gold Butte I would be on board HOWEVER I am not convinced. I know, because I have seen it happen time and time again, that the people pushing for the wilderness designations and the NCA label are only using this as a stepping stone to greater restriction and loss of my rights to enjoy our public lands. It would be the begging not the end.


Whether my message sunk in or they agreed or not the day was productive and we saw some beautiful country. I would like to thank them for coming out and giving me the opportunity to show them the Gold Butte that I have fallen in love with.

 The customary shot next to the graves at Gold Butte.

The Trip Map

Deception and Disclosure

The thing about disclosure is, it’s nice when there is some.

In April of 2010, a group of people interested in the management of Gold Butte took a trip out to this beautiful country. The trip was centered on the attendance of the nation director of the BLM, Robert Abbey. We were also accompanied by other political representatives including Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins and the Mayor of Mesquite. I am a pretty simple guy and my exposure to politics was not much more than the good ol’ boys approach to getting things done. It was my impression that having the national director of the BLM out to Gold Butte was a pretty big deal. He had been the Nevada state director for a number of years and I am sure Gold Butte had come on his radar from time to time. I thought it was just a fellow Nevada man coming back to help build consensus between the groups involved. Little did I know…..

It turns out that during the time between his tenure as the Nevada State BLM Director and the National BLM Director he sat on the Board of the Friends of Nevada Wilderness. This is the parent group of the Friends of Gold Butte. This is the same group who is driving the agenda for an NCA designation, coupled with unbridled amounts of Wilderness, for our public lands and Gold butte.

Little did I know that the Good ol’ Boy system is alive and well, pushing the Wilderness agenda.

Calling BS

Growing up one of my families favorite pastimes was playing games. One of the family favorites was called “BS”. In this game you deal out all of the cards in the deck so every player has the same amount of cards. The game is started by the first player laying all the 2’s that they have face down on the table in a pile and calling out how many of the cards they laid down. The next person lays down their 3’s face down on the pile and calling how many cards they laid down. It goes around and around like this until the first person runs out of cards. However there are a few little tricks you can use to help yourself get ahead. Sometimes in the game you may not have the right cards when it comes to your turn or you might slip in a different card than you are supposed to, to try and get ahead, so you can win. However if another player suspects you of trying to slip in the wrong cards when it’s your turn the other player calls out “BS” and the player who tried to pull a fast one gets stuck with all the cards in the pile. Well this doesn’t seem much different than the politics it takes to get legislation passed, except the stakes are much higher, for all the players. 

Currently in Clark County there are a number of “conservation minded” public lands projects in the works that could potentially require congressional action. Some of these include projects in the Las Vegas Wash, Tule Springs, the Nellis Dunes and Gold Butte. When talking with our representatives and those involved with these projects they often refer to an upcoming Clark County Public Lands Bill. This future bill would bundle all of these projects into one hand for one vote. I am sure that this makes things a lot easier for our congressional representatives however when looking at the above hand there is one card that doesn’t fit.

 

At the 500,000 foot ‘Washington level’ I am sure that these projects seem like a good match. However at the local level this is like slipping in a king with three Jacks. Yes they are all good cards but should they all be bundled into one hand in the hopes of getting a little ahead in the game? 

Gold Butte is a very distinct region and requires a much different management style than the projects within the Vegas Valley. Grouping a 1,000 acre off-road facility with a 350,000 acre NCA including a proposed 133,000 acres of wilderness is BS. Creating a management tool for Gold Butte is a huge project and will take time and facts to develop it correctly. To quickly bundle it up and say an NCA is the save-all quick fix to the issues that face Gold Butte is BS. Gold Butte should not be a pawn in election year politics.

If our elected officials want to demonstrate that they are responsible representatives then when they throw down their cards with this public lands bill they should not try and pull a fast one with Gold Butte. Yes, bundling it with Nellis Dunes is most likely good political strategy, but at the price of dictating an irreparable management decision to appease the squeaky wheels of special interests?

Gold Butte is no doubt a terrific project and a comprehensive sustainable strategy needs to be developed. However rushing a half shod, imbalanced proposal built on mind-boggling bureaucracy is senseless and unrepresentative. If you want to do something positive for Gold Butte then push aside the partisan and special interest agendas and let’s get to work on defining sustainable objectives and building a management plan that suits Gold Butte and its diverse landscape on a timetable that fits the needs of Gold Butte not politics.