Debbie Coffey (c) copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
______________________________________________
December 27, 2011
To: Mr. Thomas Seley, Field Manager
Tonopah Field Office
1553 S. Main Street
Tonopah,NV89049
RE: Comment on the Bullfrog HMA wild burro gather
Dear Mr. Seley:
I urge you to select the NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE to the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Bullfrog HMA wild burro gather (DOI-BLM-NV-B020-2011-0102-EA).
This EA states BLM is proposing to remove an “excess” 53-86 burros and leave only 70 burros on a 151,782 acre Herd Management Area (which is PRIMARILY for use by the wild horses and burros).
On 1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION of this EA, BLM states this action is “1) to protect rangeland resources from deterioration associated with an overpopulation of wild burros”
Where was all the concern with protecting rangeland resources when BLM mismanagement allowed the Barrick Bullfrog Mine to cause so much contamination that it needed reclamation?
1.3 also states that this gather is needed “to restore and maintain a thriving ecological balance.” (page 5 of the EA) BLM’s interpretation of a “thriving ecological balance” seems broad at best, and by comparing these few burros and any damage they might cause to other projects/uses, and the damage to the environement those uses cause, it seems BLM is perpetrating fraud on the American public. It seems like a local residents have been more concerned about other projects, like Solar Millenium’s Amargosa Valley Project, just 30 miles south of Beatty, NV, which is in the Bullfrog HMA: http://basinandrangewatch.org/AV-SolarMill-Beatty.html
Page 5 of the EA states “recurrent drought and sporadic precipitation patterns occur within the region often resulting from unfavorable conditions for healthy wild and burros. And on Page 6, “There are few available water sources, especially on the east side of the HMA.” and “Large portions of the Bullfrog HMA are ‘dry’…”
In 3.1 GENERAL SETTING, (page 20) there is further information about drought in the area, which leads to the graph (Figure 2 on page 21) showing below average precipitation since about 2007.
However, since about 2008, BLM has been mapping ROWs for solar power plants from Lathrop Wells to Beatty (which is within the Bullfrog HMA).
http://pvtimes.com/news/banking-on-sunbeamspower-politics-prosperity/
Are all these same concerns for drought and water featured prominently in EAs/RODs for ROWs and solar projects? Or was the water issue omitted or glossed over with a “finding of no significant impact” for that use?
As you must know, solar energy uses huge amounts of water from aquifers, which will drop the water table in surrounding areas. The Solar Millenium project, which seems to be
only 20 miles south of the Bullfrog HMA and may share an aquifer, is only one solar project (out of many) and it was to use about 1.3 BILLION gallons of water per year from the aquifer. Here is an article from the New York Times, in case you didn’t know anything about this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/business/energy-environment/30water.html?pagewanted=all
If the BLM is willing to drop 1.3 BILLION gallons per year for just one use, and then feigns concern that there isn’t enough water for 53-86 burros, it seems to indicate BLM mismanagement and to be a VIOLATION of FLPMA. It sure looks, to the average person, like the DOI is going after land uses that make the most money.
By the way, is seems that Solar Millenium (owned by a German developer) which received a ROD, is being acquired by German owned company, Solarhybrid AG. What is the Department of the Interior policy regarding foreign owned companies controlling our resources?
After reading this EA, it doesn’t seem that there are “NUISANCE BURROS” – it seems that there are only NUISANCE BLM POLICIES.
Sincerely,
Debbie Coffey
Breaking News: Transparency and accountability questioned at upcoming mustang roundup | Protect Mustangs
Feb 04, 2012 @ 00:27:47
meliposa59
Jan 18, 2012 @ 20:32:53
Need we see or say more? It’s full speed ahead.
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Louie Cocroft
Jan 04, 2012 @ 04:02:13
Marti, I learned about faxes from listening to your radio program.
When they are intending to conduct a roundup and issue an Environmental Assessment. the FAX had better be FIXED. Faxes are considered legal records, and as such, there needs to be access to them. Emails can be erased or ignored.
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Louie Cocroft
Jan 04, 2012 @ 03:59:19
And take a look at this:
BLM roundup of Cloud’s Herd
We urge you to write, email or fax (currently broken according to Billings BLM).
FAX IS CURRENTLY BROKEN?
• In 2011, mortality equaled births which is exactly what BLM states as their goal for the herd.
• The PEA includes an alternative (which was considered but not analyzed – why?): “This alternative consists of initially removing ten wild horses and re-assessing every year until the recruitment rate is equal to the natural mortality.” This is already the case! In 2011 mortality equaled recruitment (surviving foals).
Bottom line, it is dead wrong to remove any horses of any age before knowing how many foals are born in 2012, how many horses survive the winter, how many foals survive going into the fall, and the level of predation.
We urge you to write, email or fax (currently broken according to Billings BLM). Please encourage BLM to select the No Action Alternative.
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Louie Cocroft
Jan 03, 2012 @ 16:30:29
Whenever I read anything written by Debbie Coffey, I ALWAYS learn something that I didn’t know before. THANK YOU, Debbie
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Denise
Jan 03, 2012 @ 14:43:09
(1) I have problems with the “down to the lowest level” disbursement that DOI does, in conjunction with state land policy wonks. It is a scam to decentralize Fed policy regarding public lands, yet the money and policy come from the headshed.
(2) Starting and build up are word games the public lands profiteers use.
(3) It is broken…bad.
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Denise
Jan 03, 2012 @ 13:48:38
Thank you Ms Coffey.
They (the BLM) are real pieces of work…aren’t they?!?!
The feds and states are raping this country and her citizens left and right…literally.
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Debbie Coffey
Jan 03, 2012 @ 13:44:03
Note from author: Tom Seley, the BLM Field Manager, called me after reading my comment. Apparently, the Solar Millenium Project has not started YET, and Mr. Seley said he shared some of my concerns.
I met him when I went to observe the wild horse roundups last year near Tonopah, NV.
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