The Bureau of Land Management Seeks Public Comment on NASA Application for Withdrawal of Public Land in Railroad Valley
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BATTLE MOUNTAIN, Nev – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking comment on National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s application for withdrawal of 22,995 acres for use on satellite calibration activities, which would segregate the lands for up to two years while the withdrawal package is being processed. The segregation is also announced in a Federal Register notice published on April 29, 2021.
NASA has requested a 20-year withdrawal and reservation of land in Nye County approximately 80 miles northeast of the town of Tonopah. Railroad Valley is one of the Central Nevada Desert Basins in the Tonopah Basin and is approximately 80 miles long north-south and up to 20 miles wide, with some southern areas running southwest to northeast.
The requested withdrawal consists of thirty-six 640-acre sections aggregating 22,995.05 acres. Although NASA has requested the withdrawal of all these acres, the agency expects to select among alternatives, with the result that, should the Secretary of the Interior issue a Public Land Order, only a subset of these acres would eventually be withdrawn.
Publication of this notice segregates the lands for up to two years from all forms of appropriation or other disposition while the application is being processed.
All comments should be sent to the BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard., Reno, NV 89502; faxed to 775-861-6606; or sent by email to blm_nv_so_nasafrncomments@blm.gov. The BLM will not consider comments received via telephone calls. Comments must be received by July 28, 2021, and should include “NASA withdrawal” in the subject line.
Before including your address, phone number, email, 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 located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.