Commissioners finalize comments for BLM

Churchill County commissioners voted last Wednesday to submit their finalized comments and suggested revisions to the Bureau of Land Management’s controversial Rule Planning 2.0 initiative.

The initiative was brought before the board for discussion several times during the past three meetings while BLM has been working on the proposed rule change for several years, according to County Manager Eleanor Lockwood.

“The State of Nevada and a few others have taken a big interest in this,” Lockwood said, noting the letter for submission had been updated with specific language change proposals by the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO). “There has been a phenomenal amount of work put into this document.”

Much of the commissioners’ discussion centered on, similar to the previous two meetings, on how public comment and involvement are perceived and or addressed by the BLM. The counties involved in Nevada and other western states are concerned since — though the document states a proposed increase in public involvement — it appears the decision making is moving as far to the top as possible in terms of federal agency and BLM authority.

“What NACO is proposing here is that the deciding official must be one of the state director’s in jurisdiction in the planning area for plan amendments across state boundaries,” Lockwood said on NACO’s proposed language changes in regards to BLM’s objectives. “The state director shall, by default, be the signing official.”

Churchill County resident Bob Clifford was present at the meeting and during public comment, he said he would encourage the board to support the NACO changes putting back the will of the state directors and keeping more power and voice local.

“I would make that language as strong as possible in supporting our letter,” Clifford said before going into detail about how difficult it is to have public comment considered by the BLM because of what they consider substantive.“It shouldn’t be a process where 99 percent is dismissed and ignored. We have to have some different way of evaluating public comment.”

Commissioner Pete Olsen ultimately agreed with Clifford’s concerns, but he also was concerned about grass roots being taken into consideration.

“That was something I’ve been trying to change, I want to try to get that in the paragraph as a primary concern,” Olsen said to Clifford, “I think we’re trying to state exactly what you’re proposing in having the public’s comments heard because I like you am frustrated how they filter the public’s comments out.”

Commissioner Bus Scharmann said overall he was pleased with NACO’s additions as well, and the letter was a great example of how democracy works in trying to work with a federal agency as well as trying to get BLM to become more adapting to what the county needs.

“In that first page of what NACO has the deciding official must be one of the state directors, I agree with that,” Scharmann said before expressing other concerns. “But going back t what I said a month ago when this started I have more problems with the decision making process than I do with the information process. The decision is going to be made by Washington as long as we’re with the BLM because that state director is working for Washington. It’s great, but it’s also important there needs to be a public lands transfer from federal to state. To continue that effort.”

Vice chairman Carl Erquiaga said he also thought NACO did a good job despite having further concerns about certain BLM terminology such as the meaning of a principle consistency review process.

Though Erquiaga was, overall, in agreement with his fellow commissioners, he also expressed concern over the changes in their desire to involve all states on the level of decision making and said he thinks the board has to be more realistic.

“There’s hundreds of other counties in the states answering to everyone about common concern about things at state level,” Erquiaga said on the 17 Western states involved. “I think their (BLM’s) intentions are not what we think they are and they’re probably willing to put some words in there to assure us.”

Commissioners also voted or discussed the following items:

Approved the Local Regulated Tariff No. 17 by CC Communications raising monthly rates from $16 to $18/

Appointed Denice Pinder to the Churchill County Library Board and reappointed LeAnn Davis.

Appointed John Mincer to the TDR Sending Site Review Committee.

Selected Day Engineering firm to provide professional engineering services for Churchill County utility system improvement project/upgrafes to the Pine Grrove sewer system.