Southern Nevada District Office
| Contacts: | Kirsten Cannon | , 702-515-5057 | , k1cannon@blm.gov |
BLM Extends Public Comment on Desert Tortoise Translocation Back to the Wild
Las Vegas --The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Southern Nevada and Ely Districts have extended the comment period for the draft environmental assessment (EA) to address translocation of desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) from the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center to 17 wilderness areas, five wilderness study areas and other non-wilderness lands within the districts. The comment period will now close October 31, 2012.
This environmental assessment evaluates the impacts associated with translocating desert tortoise to potential recipient areas within Clark, southern Nye, and southern Lincoln Counties, Nevada. Potential areas will allow for more flexibility and options in addition to the ongoing use of the Large Scale Translocation Site located near Jean, Nevada.
The comment period opened August 14 and was lengthened to allow for increased community outreach. The EA final decision record is expected in November 2012.
Written comments must be addressed by mail or delivered to Jessie Stegmeier, Las Vegas Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130 or by e-mail to SNDOtortoise@blm.gov or by fax to 702-515-5023. If you have questions about this project, please call 702-515-5102. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Southern Nevada District Office 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130