The Bureau of Land Management is scheduled at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005, to offer for sale to the public approximately 13,300 acres of agency-administered public lands located in southeastern Lincoln County, Nev. The public auction will be held inside Mesquite City Hall, at 10 East Mesquite Blvd., in Mesquite, Nev.

The oral competitive auction is in compliance with the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act, signed into law on Nov. 30, 2004. A portion of the act stipulates that the BLM offer the aforementioned lands to the public within 75 days of the act’s passage.

The to-be sold public lands will be offered in eight parcels that vary in size from 666 to 4,357 acres. Bidding will begin at each parcel’s appraised or “fair market” value, which ranges from $299,000 to $4,662,000 – depending on the parcel. BLM Ely Field Office Realty Specialist Kevin Finn anticipates that the actual sale price will be higher.

“The sale is generating a lot of interest with several entities expressing a desire to acquire all of the parcels. Separately, parcels I and J are also receiving significant interest,” Finn said.

The auction is open to the public. United States citizens age 18 and older are eligible to bid.