[Number range CHAPTERMojave-Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory
Council]{.underline}

Meeting Minutes

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003

# BLM Tonopah Field Station

Resource Advisory Council members present and category represented:

Marta Agee Ranching/Grazing

Patrick John Chicas Permitted Recreation

Dr. John E. Hiatt Wildlife

Mark Hill State of Nevada

Mark N. Ioli Mineral Development

Robert Maichle Environment

Steve Mellington Public at Large (vice-Chair)

Dr. Steve Parker Academic/UNLV

John Weisser Dispersed Recreation

Billie Young Wild Horse & Burro

Resource Advisory Council members absent:

Dr. Colleen Beck Archeology/Historic

Maurice Frank-Churchill Native American

Thalia Dondero Elected Official

Jerry Helton Transportation/Row (Chair)

Ben Patterson Ranching/Grazing

Bureau of Land Management representatives present:

Shane DeForest BLM Ely Field Office fire management specialist

Karen Eller BLM Tonopah Field Station PAO

Phil Guerrero BLM Las Vegas Field Office PAO

Chris Hanefeld BLM Ely Field Office PAO

Meg Jensen BLM Deputy State Director for Natural Resources, Lands and
Planning

Rusty Lee BLM Tonopah Field Station NRS

Mark Morse BLM Las Vegas Field Office Manager

Jo Simpson BLM NSO PAO

Forest Service representatives present:

## Steve Holdsambeck District Ranger, Spring Mountains NCA

Lucas Phillips Rangeland Management Specialist, Humboldt-Toiyabe
National Forest Ely Ranger District.

Public attendees:

A copy of each attachment is listed in the text of or at the end of
these minutes and is also on file with the official copy of the minutes
in the Las Vegas Field Office of the BLM. Persons desiring to review
said minutes should contact Phillip Guerrero, public affairs specialist,
at (702) 498-6088.

\- A quorum present, Chairperson Steve Mellington called the meeting to
order at 8:15 a.m. -

8:15 a.m. -- Discussion re: Grazing Policy: Sustaining Working
Landscapes, led by Meg Jensen and Jo Simpson.

-   Steve Mellington opened the discussion, beginning with question four
    of four, calling for time frames re: the approval process on range
    improvements. Marta Agee agreed, citing past conflicts with the BLM.
    Meg Jensen asked if the RAC meant to say, "reasonable time frames
    should be developed for the approval process on range improvements
    with the assumption of approval, unless there is a specific reason
    for denial." A brief discussion ensued. Bob Maichle suggested the
    BLM include in the policy language mandating anyone appealing the
    process be part of the process early on, thus denying individuals
    the opportunity to file so-called "postage stamp appeals." John
    Hiatt suggested the BLM enact performance-based standards with
    annual reviews/inspections. A brief discussion ensued. IT was
    determined to state that "change is essential in healthy lands. The
    dynamics of change necessitates adaptive management. Adaptive
    management demands current and timely data. Current and timely data
    requires sufficient monitoring. The BLM should reprioritize
    resources with a bias toward monitoring efforts." It was also
    determined to include language reiterating that operators need
    flexibility to make short-term decisions to take advantage of
    resource conditions. Said language should state that, "the permit
    should allow flexibility in the management prescription for the
    allotment, which allows the permittee to manage short-term
    fluctuations in resource conditions, e.g., drought, forage, water,
    etc." A brief discussion ensued. Steve Parker asked if the
    aforementioned quoted statement should include language re:
    balancing the needs of livestock and wild horses. Billie Young said
    the BLM needs to get to and maintain Appropriate Management Level
    (AML) for wild horses. It was also decided to include language
    stating that the BLM needs to expedite progress toward reaching and
    maintaining the AML of Wild Horses and Burros. Agee asked Young to
    have the National Wild Horse Association (NWHA) draft language to
    that effect. Young responded that having the BLM ask a permittee to
    get involved in wild horse management is a big step. Parker
    suggested the BLM decentralize gathering and allow the wild horse
    people to monitor progress. Maichle suggested the BLM "expand
    opportunities for cooperative gathering." Parker said any language
    must ensure outside monitoring. A brief discussion ensued re:
    current BLM policy, which Young called "crisis gathering." It was
    determined to submit the statement, "the BLM needs to expedite
    progress toward reaching and maintaining AML of Wild Horse and Burro
    populations, and expand current cooperative gathers (with wild horse
    groups) to include livestock operators in completion of regularly
    scheduled gathers, especially on smaller Herd Management Areas
    (HMA). Maichle wanted to include the following language: "Sufficient
    provisions to support adaptive management should be included in all
    Land Use Plans (LUP). Agee wanted to change the statement to say,
    "flexible adaptive management." Hiatt suggested the term "flexible
    management," instead. Maichle also wanted to include in the
    statement the verbiage, "where flexible management opportunities
    exceed the parameters of existing planning, explore the possibility
    of amending the plan. Example: voluntary allotment restructuring on
    a temporary basis." Agee suggested changing the statement to include
    the verbiage "in all allotment plans." A brief discussion ensued.
    The final statement now read "Sufficient provision to support
    flexible management should be included in all allotment planning and
    implementation. Expedite planning and implementation to support
    blending, exchanging and adjusting between allotments." A complete
    listing of the consensus-based RAC responses to questions one
    through four is attached. (See attachment 1, RAC Responses
    \[Consensus\]).

    -   Mellington recessed the meeting at 9:25 a.m., and departed.

> \- John Hiatt reconvened the meeting at 10 a.m. -

10 a.m. -- BLM Field Manager Reports.

> BLM Las Vegas Field Office, BLM Las Vegas Field Manager Mark Morse
> (see attachments 2 and 3, BLM Las Vegas Field Manager's Report and Las
> Vegas Valley Disposal Boundary Environmental Impact Statement
> \[EIS\]).

-   Re: land acquisitions -- Steve Parker asked about conservation
    easements. Morse said there would be conservation easements,
    especially in the north end of the valley.

-   Hiatt asked how much money Burton Santini generated. Morse said the
    Burton Santini money, which is used to purchase land, has not been
    completely expended. Hiatt complained that the dollars are
    continuing to fund projects outside the Las Vegas valley.

-   Hiatt asked if Oliver Ranch could fail because of too high of
    expectations. Morse said no. A brief discussion ensued.

-   Marta Agee asked about long-term funding for the Sloan Canyon NCA.
    Morse said long-term funding would be made available to support the
    Sloan Canyon NCA. Hiatt asked if the BLM had to wait for funding to
    develop and implement plans for the Sloan Canyon NCA. Morse
    responded that the BLM Las Vegas Field Office has sufficient funding
    in a contingency fund. A brief discussion ensued.

-   Hiatt asked if Clark County government signed off on the Henderson
    sales. He suggested that the City of Henderson is not showing a
    willingness to communicate its plans for the area surrounding the
    Henderson Airport with Clark County. Morse affirmed the City of
    Henderson and Clark County are communicating, though perhaps not
    very smoothly.

-   Morse briefly updated the RAC on the upcoming November public land
    sales. He said cooperation appears to be lacking between the
    communities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.

-   Morse said the BLM Las Vegas Field Office is proposing to add
    property to the public lands disposal list, scheduled for sale in
    May 2004. A brief discussion ensued.

-   Billie Young said a two-day show, sponsored by the National Wild
    Horse Association in conjunction with a wild horse adoption, is
    scheduled in October. She invited the RAC members to attend.

> BLM Battle Mountain Field Office, Rusty Lee, BLM Tonopah Field Station
> NRS (see attachment 4, BLM Battle Mountain Field Manager's Report).

-   Billie Young asked for a general description of the Pygmy Rabbit
    situation. Lee provided one. Young asked for a copy of the Pygmy
    Rabbit Habitat Survey when it is complete.

-   John Hiatt asked if the BLM Tonopah Field Station had reached AML on
    the Silver Peak Herd Management Area (HMA). Lee said the BLM Tonopah
    Field Station has not reached AML on the HMA.

-   Hiatt asked for an update on the Central Nevada Elk Plan. Lee said
    it is progressing and complimented the group working on the plan for
    its hard work. A brief discussion ensued.

> BLM Ely Field Office, Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely Field Office PAO (see
> attachment 5, BLM Ely Field Manager's Report)

-   Hanefeld said the BLM Ely Field Office is prepared to sign the
    Record of Decision (ROD) for the Right of Ways (ROW) associated with
    the power plant. Still to be signed by the BLM are the RODs for 1) a
    plan amendment, and 2) a land exchange, provided the BLM Carson City
    Field Office is prepared to proceed with it. The Land Use Plan (LUP)
    would be signed by Nevada State Director Bob Abbey, once two
    protests are resolved.

-   Hanefeld said representatives from the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe are
    currently meeting with the allotment's other permittees to arrive at
    a final number of acres. Once the tribe and other permittees arrive
    at come to an agreement regarding grazing, water and related issues,
    the BLM Ely Field Office will schedule another round of public
    meetings. An update will follow.

-   Hanefeld said the BLM Ely Field Office is also beginning to work
    with the Ely Shoshone Tribe, in White Pine County, on the
    possibilities of expanding the size of the Ely Shoshone Colony.
    Also, he said, the BLM Ely Field Office this week received a letter
    from the Moapa Band of Paiutes asking that the field office work on
    a potential land transfer for them. Bob Maichle asked to be kept
    apprized of future developments involving the Moapa Band of Paiutes.

11:18 a.m. -- BLM Ely Field Office Fuels Management Project Overview,
Shane Deforest, BLM Ely Field Office fire management specialist.

-   DeForest provided the RAC with a brief update re: two ongoing fuels
    management projects, i.e., the Lincoln County Pinyon-Juniper Fuels
    Project, and the Ely and Mount Wilson Community Guest Ranch Urban
    Interface Projects.

-   DeForest said the Lincoln County Pinyon-Juniper Fuels Project would
    be located on about 20 acres of public land near Pony Springs, about
    30 miles north of Pioche, Nev. The BLM would, in addition to
    mechanically thinning the trees, chip and spread the biomass for
    study, he said. The study would include information about the amount
    and size of chips produced. Marta Agee asked how the chips would be
    distributed. DeForest said the trees would be removed and collected
    at a central location. They would then be chipped and redistributed
    over five-acre blocks, which would then be seeded, for monitoring
    and study. A brief discussion ensued re: the depth of the scattered
    chips and the deterioration rate of the chips.

-   DeForest provided the RAC with a brief update on the Ely and Mount
    Wilson Community Guest Ranch Urban Interface Projects (see
    attachment 5). He said work has begun at both sites and is
    progressing positively. A brief discussion ensued re: chips
    resulting from the process. Steve Parker said, in the Arizona Strip,
    the BLM is chipping and spreading the chips, then following up with
    prescribed fire during the winter months. He asked if the BLM Ely
    Field Office had considered that option. DeForest responded that the
    chips are slated to be burned in a special machine. Other options
    would be pursued in the future, he said.

-   DeForest said four wildlife habitat maintenance projects, located in
    Lincoln County, are scheduled soon to end, due to recent rains.

-   DeForest said the Batterman Wash Sagebrush Project is scheduled for
    implementation in FY 2004. He said the project would interrupt fuel
    continuity, i.e., sagebrush, and assist in regeneration of native
    forbs and grasses. The project involves six plots overall, each
    being approximately 160 acres in size. A brief discussion ensued.

-   DeForest provided the RAC with a brief update re: the Mount Grafton
    Fire Use Zone (FUZ) Mitigation Project, which he said would mitigate
    threats to fire sensitive resources, and initiate treatments on the
    north end of the FUZ to reduce the chances of "fire use" fires
    leaving the FUZ. The FUZ would involve both manual and mechanical
    cutting methods on approximately 4,000 acres of public land (at
    various locations within the FUZ).

## 11:59 a.m. -- Forest Service update: Wild Horse and Burro Issues, Steve Holdsambeck, District Ranger, Spring Mountains NCA (see attachment 6, Response to Mojave RAC Request for information regarding Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Position/National Recreation Area highlights since last Mojave Southern RAC meeting).

-   Holdsambeck provided the RAC with a brief update re: the status of a
    Wild Horse and Burro Specialist position, and recent National
    Recreation Area (NCA) highlights.

-   Re: fee areas, Marta Agee voiced concerns. Holdsambeck said it is
    not fair to a facility concessionaire to not have a fee area, adding
    that fee areas are the current direction agency wide. A brief
    discussion ensued. Steve Parker agreed that the national direction
    is toward fee areas and that the recreating public can financially
    afford the fees. Agee and John Hiatt disagreed, citing difficult
    economic times and degradation of the area. Hiatt pointed out
    increased usage at the BLM-administered non-fee area, Ash Springs,
    in Lincoln County.

Hiatt reminded the members that the Mojave-Southern Great Basin Resource
Advisory Council is scheduled to meet next at the Tri-RAC meeting,
October 16-17, 2003, in Henderson, Nev.

\- There being no further business, Hiatt adjourned the meeting at 12:25
p.m. -

APPROVED BY:

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Date Steve Mellington, vice-Chair

Mojave-Southern Great Basin

Resource Advisory Council

> \- Minutes provided by Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely Field Office public
> affairs specialist -

Attachments:

1.  RAC Responses (Consensus)

2.  BLM Las Vegas Field Manager's Report

3.  Las Vegas Valley Disposal Boundary Environmental Impact Statement
    (EIS)

4.  BLM Battle Mountain Field Manager's Report

5.  BLM Ely Field Manager's Report

6.  Response to Mojave RAC Request for information regarding Wild Horse
    and Burro Specialist Position/National Recreation Area highlights
    since last Mojave Southern RAC meeting.