Arizona-based activists call BLM’s Ely Resource Management Plan an ‘ecological disaster’

Center for Biological Diversity Populations and habitats of the by RUDY HERNDON attorney Amy Atwood said in a May latter species would be inventoried Ely Times Reporter 13 statement. “It perpetuates off- and monitored with the help of the road vehicle use in desert tortoise Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wednesday, May 20, 2009 critical habitat and does nothing cooperating agencies would oversee A federal agency’s plan to manage to promote the conservation and a program to control predators that a wide swath of public lands in recovery of the many rare species prey upon the elusive critters. Eastern Nevada is being challenged in the planning area. And the power by an environmental group on the plants authorized by the plan would According to the BLM, the overall grounds that it will lead to “ecological be totally inconsistent with the need plan was developed with input disaster.” to phase out coal immediately.” from other federal agencies, as well as a host of local, tribal and state The Tucson-based Center for The plan, which was approved in government agencies, and the general Biological Diversity announced August 2008 by BLM State Director public to boot. May 13 that it intends to sue the Ron Wenker, was designed to regulate U.S. Bureau of Land Management, grazing, mining, recreation and other However, five groups and individuals, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife activities on roughly 11.5 million including the Center for Biological Service, unless the agencies take acres of public lands administered by Diversity and the Idaho-based action by late June to fix the Ely the agency’s Ely District Office. Western Watersheds Project, filed Resource Management Plan. formal letters of protest against the Beyond human activities, the plan proposed action that was ultimately The center alleges that the BLM’s was set up to oversee the management adopted by the BLM. plan violates the Endangered Species of wildlife habitat and endangered Act, claiming that its biological species like the southwestern willow The protesters argued that the proposal opinion fails to protect a diverse flycatcher. It also establishes a long- failed to consider the impacts that range of rare plants and wildlife term effort to restore the Great grazing activities would have on species in White Pine, Lincoln and Basin’s native plants, while halting threatened and endangered species. northeastern Nye counties. the spread of invasive species. In addition, they claimed that the plan’s analysis of impacts from the In addition, the group says the plan The BLM said last year that the plan proposed coal-fired power plants was ignores the direct, indirect and balances the need to restore, enhance inadequate. cumulative effects that three coal- and protect the district’s natural fired power projects could have on resources with the public’s desire to But Wenker ultimately rejected those protected species and their habitats. provide for the production of food, arguments, concluding that agency (Two of the three projects -- NV fiber, minerals and services. officials followed all applicable laws, Energy’s Ely Energy Center and LS regulations and policies while they Power’s White Pine Energy Station In an overview of the plan, the agency were developing the plan. -- are on hold indefinitely, while the said that its management activities Toquop Energy Project near Mesquite would benefit endangered species, The BLM is currently reviewing the is still going through the permitting including the southwestern willow center’s notice of intent to sue, and process.) flycatcher and the White River it had no immediate comment on the spinedace, as well as threatened group’s latest statements. “The Ely Resource Management Plan species like the Railroad Valley commits to ecological disaster,” springfish and the desert tortoise.