Seeding from Bravo 17 fire completed

The Churchill County Commission took action on the following agenda items at their last board meeting:

Bureau of Land Management’s Carson City District, Ken Collum, Field Manager for the Stillwater Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management’s Carson City District, said seeding for the Bravo 17 fire area has been completed. A July 2017 wildfire burned thousands of acres on the range south of U.S. Highway 50.

Collum gave updates on the grazing allotments in the Desaytoa Range east of Fallon and the wild-horse gather conducted in December. He said Enel Green Energy wants to move forward with solar at its Salt Wells plant. In an unrelated announcement, Collum said a Sept. 17 lease sale for geothermal is being appealed.

He said the Bureau of Land Management continues to move key personnel to the West from Washington, D.C. Those not assigned to the western headquarters in Grand Junction, Colo., will be sent to the various state offices.

“The move is happening, and the building is secure in Grand Junction,” he said.

Commissioners approved a purchase agreement for water rights. Churchill County will be using 56.57 acres of surface water rights as consideration to purchase 54 acre-feet of ground water from Neventures, Inc. and the Dalton and Diane Lowery Joint Revocable Trust.

Commissioners commented on the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) Modernization Project and release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). (The Jan. 22 edition of the Lahontan Valley News has articles on the Navy’s range modernization and expansion.)

During the meeting commissioners took action on continuing the extension of time for submittal of a parcel map pursuant to Development Agreement, Bill 2010­A, Ordinance 103; approving a resolution establishing the travel expenses and subsistence allowance for Churchill County effective Jan. 1 noting the new mileage rate of 57.5 cents per mile and per diem rate of $55 per day; approved extension of time for submittal of a parcel map pursuant to Bill 2010­A, Ordinance 103.

Commissioner also discussed and approved an Interlocal Cooperative Agreement with the City of Fallon setting forth cooperative efforts to drive economic development in the area. County Manager Jim Barbee said the agreement would best serve the community. He added the focus would be on Churchill County and Fallon, and the cooperative effort would use grant money from the Governors’ Office on Economic Development.

Commission Chairman Pete Olsen said support for the local Churchill Economic Development Authority staff would increase. Barbee and the commissioners are looking at hiring a person from outside the county to promote the county to provide better results.