BLM Nevada News
NEVADA STATE OFFICE NO. 2009-01
FOR RELEASE: Oct. 3, 2008
CONTACT: JoLynn Worley, 775-861-6515

BLM to Acquire Meadow Valley Mountains Parcels

Reno, Nev.—The Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved the first acquisition of sensitive land under the Lincoln County Lands Act (LCLA).  Three parcels, totaling 720 acres, that contain critical habitat for desert tortoise, will be consolidated in public ownership with other publicly-owned land in the area. The three parcels are adjacent to the Coyote Springs development and the Mormon Mountain Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), about 60 miles north of Las Vegas.

The owner of the property, The Conservation Fund, is asking for a purchase price of not more than $3.68 million. An appraisal to determine the fair market value will need to be completed before the property comes into federal ownership.

Public review of the acquisition was available during Round 8 of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) nomination process. Funds for the purchase were generated by land sales conducted under the authority of the LCLA. Eighty-five percent of the sale monies are deposited in a Special Account, 10 percent is paid to Lincoln County and 5 percent goes to the State of Nevada for the general education program. The LCLA Special Account is different from the SNPLMA Special Account.

In 2003, Coyote Springs Investment conveyed the 720 acres to The Conservation Fund with the intention that the lands would subsequently be conveyed to the BLM for incorporation into the adjacent ACEC.

-BLM-