Public lands issues in Nevada have been at a seeming all time high. With Fallon Naval expansion and Washoe County lands bill taking center stage, it was time to take a stand. Nevada, you made your voices heard!
On a chilly evening in Fallon, NV this January, the Navy presented their final EIS and preferred alternative for their proposed expansion of the Fallon Range Training Complex. They claimed that they had taken previous public comment and stakeholder’s desires into account in the new preferred alternative. Their presentation made it abundantly clear that they had made minimal changes, however. The final was extremely similar to the past draft and it was obvious that they have not taken stakeholders’ previous concerns to heart.
The comment session following their presentation removed any questions the Navy may have had about how the public would respond. With over 90 minutes of comments, all voices spoke in staunch opposition to the expansion plan. From conservationists, to ranchers, to representatives and members of the tribes, to local residents, everyone has concerns that the Navy has not addressed. Our members of Congress had staff present at the meetings and so, even if the Navy has not taken the people’s needs into account, our elected representatives still can. Thank you for making your voice heard and for standing up for these precious wild places.
In Washoe County the revival of the contentious public lands bill resulted in a high energy public meeting this past Thursday, which got off to an impassioned start and a finale finish. Very few comments were made in support of the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Act as it currently stands, and speakers were especially critical of the process. While not all speakers agreed on how the public lands of Washoe county should be managed, we all agreed that we don’t want to see our wide open spaces overdeveloped and our natural resources exploited. Multiple stakeholders also made it clear that the process needs improvement, with greater visibility and stakeholder input before moving forward. Thank you to all of you who attended and to everyone who submitted comments online. You can listen to the audio from the meeting and make a comment here: https://www.landsbill.org/comments.php#Comment
Democracy functions best when we are all active participants. Thank you for joining us on the front lines standing up for what is important, standing up for the wild things that cannot speak for themselves, and for your continued support. You made your voices heard. Thanks for helping us keep it wild!