BLM Nevada News Release RSS Feed

Funding Approved for Lincoln County (10-23-09)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:05:30 -0600

Reno, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey has approved nearly $750,000 for archaeological projects in Lincoln County. The funds are available through the Lincoln County Lands Act (LCLA), which authorize the use of revenues from the sale of public lands in Lincoln County for specific purposes.

The Round 2 Archaeological Initiative expenditures that are approved include documentation and analysis of rock shelters and rock art sites, Fremont settlement inventory and educational outreach, and historic mining district inventory, evaluation and protection.

“The public lands in Lincoln County are rich in cultural resources,” said Abbey. “The funding provided by the Act helps the BLM to fulfill our responsibility to manage cultural resources on these lands. Additionally, the project work, much of it to be conducted by contractors, will provide jobs and an economic boost to the area.”

The list of approved projects and project amounts will be posted on the BLM’s Ely District website as soon as the contracts are awarded.

The approved projects were vetted through a review process that included representatives from the Duckwater Tribe, Lincoln County, the State Historic Preservation Office, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

The LCLA created a special account in which 85 percent of the revenues from land sales are deposited into a special account. The remaining funds are distributed to the State of Nevada (5 percent) and to Lincoln County (10 percent). Funds in the special account may be used for a variety of archaeological resource projects, including the inventory, evaluation, protection and management of unique archaeological resources of Lincoln County.

Call Carol Bass, project manager special legislation, BLM Nevada Ely District Office, at (775) 289-1803 for more information regarding the archaeological projects in Lincoln County.

BLM to Hold a Pre-bid Workshop for Contractors (09-16-09)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:05:10 -0600

Reno, Nev. — In order to assist contractors in better understanding a hazardous fuels reduction services contract currently available for bid, BLM will hold a pre-proposal conference in Reno, with video-teleconference links in Ely and Las Vegas. Attendance at this pre-bid workshop is not required in order to bid on the contract. There is no cost to attend.

When: Thursday, Sept. 24 from 12:30-4:30 p.m.

BLM Finalizes Results of September Oil and Gas Sale (09-08-09)

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 11:10:20 -0600

Reno, Nev. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sold two parcels containing 1,919 total acres during its quarterly oil and gas competitive lease sale in Reno on Tuesday, September 8, which brought in $6,996. Of that total sale receipt amount, $3,838 is bonus bid revenue, which is split 50/50 between the state and the U.S. Treasury.

BLM offered 85 parcels encompassing 151,975 acres. The two parcels sold at $2 per acre, with the highest bid per parcel at $2,560, and both parcels are located in Nye County. The leases are for a period of 10 years with annual rentals of $1.50 per acre for the first five years and $2 an acre after that until production begins. Once a lease is producing, a royalty of 12.5 percent is charged.

BLM received $498,661 total bonus bids in its June 2009 quarterly competitive sale with 44 parcels sold. The June high bid parcel was $110 per acre in Nye County.

A complete listing of the parcels offered and the winning bidders is available online at: www.blm.gov/nv/. The next sale is tentatively scheduled for December 8, 2009.

Pilot Lost in Air Tanker Crash (08-21-09)

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:35:10 -0600

Reno, Nev. — A pilot whose single-engine air tanker crashed at approximately 4 p.m. today while working on the Hoyt Fire about 125 miles northeast of Reno was air lifted to Pershing General Hospital in Lovelock, where a short time later passed away. Information regarding the pilot is being withheld until notification of the family.

"We are greatly saddened with the loss of any firefighter," said Ron Wenker, the Bureau of Land Management State Director for Nevada. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of this courageous pilot."

Other aircraft continue to combat the 600-acre wildland fire in the northeast Clan Alpine Range in central Nevada. Three Type 1 hand crews are on the scene and a Type 2 Incident Management Team has been ordered. BLM has have notified the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, and the crash and the source of the fire are under investigation.

Air Tanker Crashes Fighting Wildland Fire (08-20-09)

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:25:40 -0600

Reno, Nev.—A single-engine air tanker working the Hoyt Fire about 125 miles northeast of Reno went down Thursday afternoon around 4 p.m. The pilot of the aircraft was transported to a medical facility. The aircraft, an Air Tractor 802, is owned by Minuteman Aviation.

Geothermal Lease Sale Generates More Than $9 Million (07-14-09)

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:50:20 -0600

Reno, Nev. – A competitive auction of lease parcels for geothermal energy resources on federal public lands in California, Nevada, and Utah generated $9,098,304 in revenue for 255,347.158 acres. The high bid per acre was for a Nevada parcel in Churchill County at $3,800 per acre by Ormat Nevada Inc. The highest bid paid for a parcel was $2,649,150, also in Churchill County, by TGP Development Co. LLC, for 5,045 acres.

Ruby Pipeline Project Draft EIS (07-07-09)

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 11:55:30 -0600

Reno, Nevada – Federal agencies are seeking public comments on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ruby Pipeline Project, a proposed natural gas pipeline that would stretch from Wyoming through Utah and Nevada to Oregon. A Notice of Availability of the draft document was published in the Federal Register on June 19. The comment period ends Aug. 10, 2009.

Two public meetings will be held in Nevada during July. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m.

Joint Geothermal Lease Sale Planned in California, Nevada and Utah (06-16-09)

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:50 -0600

To help meet the nation's renewable energy goals, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California, Nevada and Utah will hold a combined geothermal lease sale in Reno on Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

BLM Posts Results of Quarterly Oil and Gas Sale (06-09-09)

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 19:35:10 -0600

Reno, Nev. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sold 44 parcels containing 60,978 acres during its quarterly oil and gas competitive lease sale in Reno on Tuesday, June 9, which brought in $596,304.50. Of that total sale receipt amount, $498,661 is bonus bid revenue, which is split 50/50 between the state and the U.S. Treasury.

Lincoln County Water District Pipeline Project Final Review (05-01-09)

Fri, 1 May 2009 14:35:40 -0600

Reno, Nev.—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a notice in the Federal Register on May 1, announcing the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Lincoln County Land Act (LCLA) Groundwater Development and Utility Rights-of-Way Project for review and comment.