BLM updates Churchill County on NDAA projects, wild-horse counts and geothermal nominations
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Summary
Bureau of Land Management officials briefed the Churchill County Board on National Defense Authorization Act implementation projects, preliminary wild-horse census results, ongoing geothermal nominations and several mineral exploration updates.
Bureau of Land Management Assistant Field Managers Mark Maza and Nate Pepe updated the Churchill County Board of Commissioners on land-management activities in the Carson City District, including work tied to provisions in recent National Defense Authorization Acts, ongoing wild-horse monitoring, geothermal parcel nominations and mineral project developments.
The presentation summarized multiple NDAA-related initiatives in Churchill County. BLM said it is leading NEPA for the Sand Canyon Road realignment and is coordinating with the county, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Navy on next steps, particularly maintenance arrangements. BLM said it is developing a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Reclamation related to a land exchange described in section 2907 of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act that would convey land for public purposes to Churchill County and the City of Fallon.
BLM officials reported the Checkerboard Implementation Strategy Plan (section 2908 of the NDAA) is about 90% complete in draft form with Churchill County and that the agency is working on milestones and next steps. They also described coordination on a reroute of State Route 361 tied to B-17 expansion and a Great Basin Pipeline relocation in the GAPS area.
On wild-horse management, BLM provided raw census counts from recent aerial flights for five herds. Raw counts were: Pilot Table herd, 579 horses; Pine Nut herd, 222; Wausau herd, 94; Garfield Flat herd, 60; and Marietta burro herd, nine burros and 55 burrows noted. BLM said those raw counts will be adjusted upward after the Agricultural Research Service corrects for visibility, topography and other factors. The agency also said a preliminary environmental assessment for a gather around Lahontan Reservoir is open for public comment until May 12.
BLM described geothermal activity in and near Churchill County. Two parcels in Churchill County—totaling about 3,795 acres at the northeastern end of the Carson Sink near Buena Vista Valley—were nominated for inclusion in a districtwide geothermal lease-sale environmental assessment. BLM said it is also coordinating with the Navy, ORMAT and the Fish and Wildlife Service on Dixie Meadows baseline assessments and is awaiting concurrence from the State Historic Preservation Office on a treatment plan for diamond-flat exploration work. Cosmo Dixie has constructed drill pads and roads on the north side of Dixie Valley and plans at least one pump test this summer, BLM said; the company had not yet drilled as of the briefing.
BLM briefed the board on other mineral projects, including the Bell Mountain Mine, for which an environmental assessment and FONSI were issued in 2020 but the proponent never posted a reclamation bond; BLM said the new owner is seeking capital to develop infrastructure. The presentation also included recreation and events updates—the agency said Sand Mountain Recreation Area was particularly busy over Easter weekend and listed upcoming off-road racing events that will require planning and law-enforcement presence.
BLM closed the briefing by describing an expected record of decision in July for the Green Link North transmission corridor work along Highway 50 and by noting recent ground surveys and categorical-exclusion processing for smaller projects.
