Chronology & Document Index
Hard copies of all documents are on file.
1999 Mt. Wilson Fuels Reduction -
(10,000 acres of tebuthiuron aerial application). plans cancelled per
outcry of community.
1999 Letter Frazier to Ely BLM -
Request to be included on correspondence, “I am an interested party in pinyon”
April 7, 2000
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS
Piñion Juniper Harvest: NTS Development Corporation intends to
harvest Piñion Juniper for manufacture into wood chips and other timber-based
consumer goods. He expressed appreciation regarding the actions of Gene Kolkman
(Ely BLM chief) in facilitating meetings with United States Senator Harry
Reid’s staff to reach this goal;
April - June 2000 - Comment taken on proposed 3.5
Million Acre Fuels Plan taken by EA by BLM (ELY Fire Plan)
August 28 2000 - Letter Frazier to
All Nevada BLM Field Stations Re: Ely Plan and pine nut potential.
Misinformation utilized in land planning documents about the
life cycle of pinyon. Notes critical species error in planning documents.
Plan states, “pine nuts are produced by young vigorous trees, less than 60
years of age.” Reality is pinyon pines do not begin producing good seed until
they are at least 100 years old. Consideration of the economic value
the pinyon pine nut. (147 to 500 times more potential for public lands than
grazing revenues.) Consideration of the effects of pinyon canopy
shade upon soil moisture, reduced evaporation rates, cooler earth temptress,
and climate maintenance. Lack of documentation on pine nut production and
harvest levels.
November 30, 2000
Dr. Bonnie Bobb Eberhardt, Western Shoshone Council contacts us. We begin working together.
(Note: Western Shoshone not federally recognized, have been in settlement
with Court of Claims for 30 years. WS have no legal standing on fed land.
)
December 20, 2000
Ely District Tribal Coordination Meeting- Minutes. BLM ‘s Tucker give overview and intent of plan. Tribal
representatives expressed concern that they had not received copies until
recently. Request 40 day extension. Tucker indicated
draft and final plans mailed to Tribal Chairs earlier in the year.
December 28, 2000. - Notice of Appeal.
Western Shoshone
December 29,2000 - End of
Appeal Comment Period for Ely EA
Ely EA 3,000,000 acre plan adopted, “pine nuts a matter of climate and are
beyond scope of consideration in plan.” (This is not true, tree age is a primary
factor in production)
December 29, 2000 - Letter Frazier to Ely BLM
Specific written
request to be included in discussions re: pinyon and all proposals relating
to or possibly impacting pinyon range. Formally notes lack communications
with Ely BLM, and not receiving notices. Questioning consideration on obligatory
and migrating bird species upon pinyon as a food source. The effects of fire
upon mature nut producing pinyon trees.
January 15, 2001 - Letter Bobb to
BLM Dunn. Clarification on 40 day extension to file comments.
January 22, 2001 - Letter BLM to
Bobb. Extension only granted to certain tribes. Information sought
from everyone. Any new information is sought on this plans beyond.
2/8/2001 - Appeal deadline for Western Shoshone.
January 25, 2001 - Tribal coordination
Meeting. BLM presents overview of plan.
January 25, 2001 -
Letter Bobbs to
BLM summarizing concerns with
EA. Notes lack of notice, environmental justice deficiencies, re-suspension
of radionuclide particles, combined pesticide burning, objections to pine
nut harvest quotes by BLM for Natives, lack of alternatives in plan.
February 6, 2001 - Letter Walker
River Tribe to BLM.
Notes significant impacts on tribe re: pine nuts. Historically members
travel throughout the state for pine nuts. Request information about
age of trees, and notes age should be a factor in planning processes. Requests
to included in monthly meeting mailing list. (Per Walker River, no response
to letter.)
February 7, 2001 - BLM letter to
Bobb, requests more information on radionuclides and Nuclear Risk
Management for Native Communities
February 28, 2001 - Bonnie Bobb and Penny Frazier received
verbal notice, prescribed burns off. Verify information with (3) independent
sources. Told big meeting 2/27/2001 all BLM heads attended, burns canceled.
March 1, 2001 - Western
Shoshone Notice of Appeal (Bonnie Bobb picks up appeal)
March 2, 2001 - Letter Frazier
to BLM. Seeks written confirmation Ely Fire Plan is going to full EIS.
“I am an interested party in all matters involving pinyon”. Requests
that all maintenance and chaining projects including dates and acreage of
original treatments. (Never provided).Requests information on maintenance
burns. Seeks list of attendees at meeting which reportedly resulted
in plan status. Notes discussion on lack of documentation on pinyon pine nut
production
March 5, 2001 - Telephone conference
with William Dunn (Fire Planner, Ely BLM) documented in March 5 letter.
No response to specific p.monophylla data or issues raised in other correspondence.
March 5, 2001 - Letter Frazier to BLM
BLM to assured, I would placed on mailing list through out the state which
propose project effecting pinyon stands. BLM once again
made aware of species information errors in planning documents.lack of information about pinyon nuts
March 13, 2001 - General
comments regarding Ely District being a jewel. No response to issues presented.
Invitation to attend workshop.
March 27, 2001 - Letter to BLM from
Frazier (per Dr. Bobb’s work on resuspension of radionuclides, via fire, I
requested further information). With respect to the issue of radionuclides
and depleted uranium I requested the following considerations with respect
to the Ely Natural Managed Fire Plan.
MARCH 27, 2001 - Mike L. Baughman, Representative, NTS Development Corporation (NTS), City of Caliente, Eureka County and Lincoln County, testified the areas he represented supported A.B. 418. Lincoln County, NTS and the City of Caliente had been working cooperatively for the past couple of years to develop alternative energy projects in that area. In addition, NTS was working with Lincoln County to develop an industrial park in Caliente, Nevada, and working with the BLM to develop a biomass energy project that would be located in the county.
The biomass would be derived from pinion juniper woodlands. The BLM was
in the process of preparing a very long-term landscape management plan that
would allow the BLM to selectively harvest and thin the pinion juniper woodlands
in the eastern part of the state to provide for better habitat for wildlife,
watershed and help abate the serious fire hazard that existed. Mr. Baughman
stated his organizations looked forward to working with the BLM to actually
take the resulting biomass from that area and put it into productive industrial
uses including the production of energy. He stated they were looking at small
modular plants up to five megawatts and one would be located in Lincoln County
March 27, 2001 - BLM Telephone Call to Frazier Telephone call. We are no experts
and will have to find some. This is too big a problem for our local people.
Discusses steps taken to date to deal with radionuclide issue. My letter
to go into a pile of letters raising similar issues. Written response
may take a while. (11/03 no response received to date).
March 29, 2001 - Letter to BLM from Frazier
Written in response
to telephone call referenced above. Questions why issue does not
constitute a change in conditions per NEPA regulations for Ely Fire Plan.
Requests general information on the status of contaminates on public lands.
Requests written responses to letters and copy of opinion regarding
Western Shoshone. (No response)
April 5, 2001 - Mike L. Baughman, Ph.D., Nevada Test Site Development Corporation (NTSDC), The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had proposed to thin Pinyon-Juniper
woodlands in White Pine and Lincoln Counties through selective harvest. The
thousands of tons of biomass produced would provide energy comparable to coal
(Exhibit K). The bill needed a sunset clause because five years was sufficient
to attract new businesses. They were concerned about the Commission on Economic
Development approving or denying tax exemptions that did not meet the initial
criteria but were in the best interest of the state. They felt "undue uncertainty"
should not be present in a program that was clearly designed to benefit Nevada.
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/71st/Minutes/Assembly/TAX/Final/760.html
April 10, 2001 - Letter to BLM, Robert Abbey
(Nevada District Director)
Requests further study prior
to utilizing fire as land management tool. Discussion regarding UXO (unexploded
ammunitions). Notes no written responses to early letters and concerns
over issues. Extensive discussion regarding depleted uranium and
the effects of fire.
April 17, 2001 - Letter BLM to Bobbs. Response to 1/25/01 Bobb letter.
Will do a full EIS on landscaped burns. Addresses Radionuclides, pesticides,
environmental justice. Attachment letter from DOE. Have not studied
issue.
April 23, 2001 - Telephone conference - Frazier to
Tim Hartzell (National Fire Plan Coordinator) PLEASE SEE Hartzell’s Congressional
Testimony, July 31, 2001. re: Ely Managed Fire Plan.
April 24, 2001 - Telephone conference Robert Abbey,
Gene Kolkman, Penny Frazier, Bonnie Bobb.
April 30, 2001 - Attend - Ely Shoshone
Tribal Meeting. Frazier Oral Request for information documenting mature pinyon stands. Fire plan manager, Dunn, asks, “why is it important how old
the trees are in the areas.” Kolkman explains the seed tree issue to him. Little to no knowlege of pine nut production in area
No document received to date. (BLM response none)
May4, 2001 - Letter Katie Fite, CIHD - FOIA (Katie and
I consult on FOIA request). Requests following information: Fire
documents, pesticide records, cheat grass inventories
May 4, 2001 - Letter CIHD - FOIA #2
Radionuclide info., bat species data, pinyon pine nut data, tree stand age inventories, documents relied
upon in stating pinenuts a matter of climatic conditions.
May 7,2001 - Abbey BLM to Frazier.
We will hold a conference with interested
parties and inform you of our findings. No response to date.
May 8, 2001 - ASSEMBLY Committee on Taxation.
Mr. Bierman referred to his document, Exhibit H. His map indicated
some of the projects under consideration in rural Nevada involving the Bureau
of Land Management’s (BLM) clearing of pinon-juniper. In Lincoln and White
Pine Counties, the BLM was developing plans to thin an estimated four million
acres of pinon-juniper woodlands, where “thousands of tons of biomass” would
result in the landscape treatments being proposed by the BLM. Each ton
of pinon-juniper biomass contained between 12,000 and 15,000 Btu’s (British
thermal units) of energy, which was comparable to coal. http://www.leg.state.nv.us/71st/Minutes/Assembly/TAX/Final/1325.html
May 14, 2001 - Letter Frazier to BLM Robert Abbey (Nevada
Director BLM). Provides extensive information
about off-site contamination from weapons testing done at Nevada Test Site.
Specifically references Operation Roller Coaster, Plutonium Dispersal series
of test done at Nellis Range. Provides test data information
for fallout onto public lands. Requests EA 0-04-00-020 (Ely Burn Plan) be
revoked pursuant to significant new information.
May 29, 2001 - Letter Eddie, (attorney) Land and Water
Fund of the Rockies. Cites NEPA violations. Demands
full EIS
July 21, 2001 - Letter BLM (Kolkman) to Eddie.
Fires in excess of 20,000 will do EIS. Value of pine nuts $7,000 per year. (NOT TRUE)
July 27, 2001 - Letter Kolkman (Director, BLM Ely)
to CIHD. This is one of the important documents I have. They are
very clear about the lack of documentation on pine nuts. No records in office on radioactive
soil disturbances, cheat grass, yearly pin enut harvests, pinyon stand
inventories, documents on pinenut production being a matter of climatic conditions,
no studies done on p.monophylla for EA. No inventories by stand age.
July 31, 2001 - Hartzell (Fire Plan Coordinator, testimoney before Congress,
nothing in E.A. done to inform public of this plan. Hartzell’s testimoney
to “ Eastern Nevada Landscape Restoration Coalition project, Ely, NV, producing
biomass material. The BLM Ely District in eastern Nevada has committed to
produce 50,000 to 100,000 tons per year of pinyon-juniper biomass to restore
and improve habitat for sage grouse and Rocky Mountain elk. The project will
treat over 100,000 acres in FY 2001. The coalition involves 75 Federal, State,
and local governments, private foundations and environmental groups, and local
community and industry leaders. The coalition is exploring markets for the
biomass material, including fuel for wood-stove pellets, bioenergy or co-generation,
fiber or flakeboard and a variety of other nontraditional forest products
resourcescommittee.house.gov/107cong/forests/2001july31/hartz
ell.htm
July 31, 2001 - August 1, 2001 Letter Frazier to BLM (Caliente Maintenance Burn Project)
http://www.pinenut.com/72601blmletter.htm
Recites all issues with non-communication
and problems in district . Comments on Client Burns. Incorporates all
other correspondence by reference and requests a response to issues related
to pine nuts. (This plan was part of 3 other plans, they were all pulled.
Katie with CIHD, did a lot background work, and found something, “funny” with
the funding.)
August 2001 - ELY/MT. Wilson(II) Fuels Reduction EA. 30,000
acres chipped into 2 inch pieces left on site, 10,000.000 project to protect
exclusive guest ranch in Mt. Wilson. EA comments due 8/16/03 Contract was
to be signed same day.
Downloaded BLM Web site (Hard copy must be printed, disk only)
August 3, 2001 Contract specifications available
to bidders
August 8, 2001 Bidders tour
August 16, 2001 E Bids due by close of business (4:30 p.m. PDST)
August 18, 2001 ** Public Comment Period Ends (
August 18, 2001 Contract award
August 23, 2001 Work begins
August 16, 2001 Comments, Ely Mt. Wilson
Fails to follow science, underlying plan (Ely Fire Plan) flawed. Fails to
consider value of pine nuts. (Ely treatment area a good harvest area commercial
and personal use).
AUGUST 2001 - January 2002 The Ely plan
goes to litigation. I have not included all the documents related to The Mt.
Wilson/Ely plan, because there are so many of them. I filed comments,
statement of reasons, protest, appeal, motions and complaint, stipulations,
etc...The Law Fund steps in, and begins litigation in Federal Court. Todd Tucci, would not list me as a plaintiff, but works to include my FLMPA claims
in his complaint. The case is settled after review by fire experts and
the project is reduced to a small fraction of the proposed size. Tucci gets
expert and has entire case file on pine nuts.
2002 URBAN INTERFACE NFP - Funds Request, ( downloaded from funding request
NFP site)
Mt. Wilson 50 Homes
22,000 Acres* $40,000 NFP $80,000 Total Funds
Mount Wilson is a exceptionally remote area in
Central Nevada, the treatment area figure is derived from the Environmental
Assessment. Approx. 35 square miles, to protect 1.2 square mile private
land enclave. BLM's project design actually leaves higher densities of trees
touching private lands than in many other portions of the project areas.
So, the "interface" has become a beauty strip. The NFP grant funds are to
be used for a risk assessment. This is an Eastern Landscape Restoration Project.
(Total cost of project 10,000,000 K. Fite, FIOA and correspondence)
Priority 3 Ely Application Shows 2,500 homes 9,400 acres
$70,000 NFP $140,000 Total Funds - The Ely project treats outlying surrounding areas
with exceptionally low population densities. It extends south from Ely approx.
13 miles - in a 1 to 1.5 mile wide swath. Habitation is present only in the
very northern portion of project area. Again, the trees are left
touching private land, leaving a beautification strip. The grant funds are
used for risk assessment. This is an Eastern Landscape Restoration Project.
(NO Date, best guess)
RCI Biomass Project List - cached google, no date
Lincoln County
(Biomass)
Lincoln County Economic Development / Nevada Association of Counties
RCI was involved in securing funds from the Nevada Legislature to assist
in carrying out a statewide scoping study regarding treatments and uses of
the Pinion-Juniper Woodlands in Southeastern Nevada. In this study, RCI focused
on methods presently being employed by BLM to address the management issues
of these woodlands, and what the future potential opportunities include to
achieve desired plant community. Energy and wood product development were
identified as high potential outcomes, as the woodlands are managed on a sustainable
/ renewable basis.
November 12, 2002 - Carson City Manager’s Report
1. Biomass
2. . Held a telephone conversation with Elwood Miller of the Fire Safe Council,
John McClain of Resource Concepts Inc. (RCI) and John Singlaub of the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) to discuss the status of the Council's completion
of a study to determine the availability of biomass fuels for the next 10
years within a 50-mile radius of Carson City, We also outlined a process whereby
the council would facilitate meetings with us and neighboring jurisdictions
who have thinning projects underway to arrange for our landfill to begin to
receive product from these projects; and, Mr. Singlaub agreed to purse federal
funding to underwrite the cost of processing biomass material at these various
projects to reduce the cost of transportation.
1. Energy Team —Met with the team to receive an update on the Viron
project which is complete except for the co-gen facility; discussed the second
Request for Proposal (RFP) which is due October 24th; discussed the status
of implementing other concepts including:
November 25, 2002 - City Manager’s Report
Energy Team —. Biomass — Met with John McClain of Resource Concepts Inc.
(RCI) and Daren Winkelman to discuss the Request for proposal (RFP) issued
by the Fire Safe Council to conduct a regional inventory of product.
HDR to work with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to layout an area for
the receipt, segregation and processing of material.
January, 2003 - Nevada Southwest Energy Program staff of the Nevada Commission on Economic
Development, Nevada Division of Forestry, and Nevada Fire Safe Council regarding
office involvement with use of locally produced forest thinning residues as
a feedstock for energy conversion technologies. Pursuit of this concept would
provide support of efforts to reduce fire danger in the urban/wildland interface
areas of the state through the cost-effective disposal of thinning biomass.
April 10, 2003
http://www.pinenut.com/cheatgrass.htm
Frazier comments. Ely Resource Management Plan. Rehashes all pine nut issues,
note pinyon fire resistant species. Failure to address pine nut concerns in
various letters amounts to negligence on behalf of BLM. States violation of
Federal Land Management Practices Act in failing to document or manage pine
nut harvests. Sends most current pine nut import data, asks for a plan to
manage for pine nut production. Notes errors in life cycle information.
Points out issues with harvest theft and lack of monitoring. Requests
larger problematic EA, as no harvest of pine nuts in New Mexico for 4 years.
Crises in New Mexico and Arizona must be considered in managing Nevada pine
nuts. Notes failure to consider economic impacts of pine nuts in all levels
of planning.
August 15, 2003 http://www.pinenut.com/elko.htm
Frazier, Neveda BLM Fuels Reduction
Treatment- Rehashes all issues, reports crises with New Mexico/AZ nuts.
