Up in Flames

It's hot outside. And it's quite dry. Yep, it's awfully dry outside.

How dry? Take a look at this map. The drought continues to worsen. And as the drought worsens, so does risk of more epic wildfires burning across Nevada.



Mount Charleston, as well as the Las Vegas Valley below, were seriously threatened by the Carpenter 1 Fire nearly a year ago. Chris Giunchigliani understands this quite well, as she spends plenty of time with her neighbors & constituents in Las Vegas and at her mountain house on Mount Charleston. Chris Giunchigliani has experienced firsthand the effects of climate change, and she urged others in Southern Nevada to take this threat seriously.



From Wall Street titans to mayors across the nation and The Pentagon, Americans want strong action to take on climate change. And Nevada, the rest of the nation, and the rest of the world stand to benefit from strong climate change.



But of course, Cliven Bundy and his merry gang of "outlaw cowboys" refuse to accept this. The Bundy Gang are too busy "going Hollywood" to worry about such things as climate change.

Yet while they're cashing in on breaking the law and pandering to dangerous extremists, BLM Southern Nevada Fire Management Officer Mike Haydon has to focus on protecting our public lands from not only dangerous extremists with "Range War" fantasies, but also climate change.



Representatives from Rep. Steven Horsford's (D-North Las Vegas, and his district includes Mount Charleston) office, Rep. Dina Titus' (D-Paradise) office, and Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown's (D-Las Vegas) office also dropped by yesterday's event at Mount Charleston because they're concerned about what lies ahead for Southern Nevada... Especially if we don't take enough action to take on climate change.



This s--t is serious. It's not something to mock. It's not something to blithely dismiss. And it's certainly not something to deny just to "score political points".

Don't believe us? Remember what happened at Mount Charleston almost a year ago. It can happen again. And we likely will see more of those large wildfires at some point soon. Either we can take action to save ourselves, or we can let our future burn up in flames.

Giant Wakeup Call

Nearly a year ago, it was in flames. And its smoke darkened the Las Vegas Valley below. The Carpenter 1 Fire was a frighteningly giant wakeup call for Southern Nevada.

Our state, along with the rest of the America. West, has been stuck in drought for several years. And with the land hotter and drier than ever before, it's become ideal ground for epic wildfires. Even today, Mount Charleston was placed at high risk for another wildfire.



As the drought worsens and the heat reaches record levels, we're left wondering how many more startling signs we must notice before we take further action on climate change. How many more wildfires must burn? How much more drought must we endure?



President Obama's climate action program will aid in curbing this and other effects of climate change. However, we can't stop here. We need further action just to avoid the worst case scenario.



Nevada's economy depends on our terrain. Las Vegas & Reno depend on tourism. The rural areas depend on farming & ranching. The entire state depends on the little amount of water we receive in precipitation every year.



While some question the cost of robust climate action and others question the very existence of climate change, all the "TEA" fueled deniers are missing the giant wakeup call outside. Go ahead and step outside. Feel the heat, and feel the dry.



It's real. It's happening. And we can no longer deny it. It's our giant wakeup call. Are we now ready to jump out of bed and take action?

One More Step

In 2011, a constitutional amendment was introduced in the Nevada Legislature. And somehow, it managed to pass that year despite the acrimony and frustration that came to define the 76th session.

Fast forward to 2013. Even though SJR 15 had managed to pass Round 1, Round 2 was suddenly in doubt. The mining industry had doubled up its lobbying campaign, and it looked like that was about to reap mining conglomerates a huge payday. But then, another strange twist occurred.

As soon as it became a rather eye-popping attempt at "Republican rebranding" and a "no brainer" tax reform plan with actual bipartisan support, Legislature leaders had no choice but to stand back and let SJR 15 sail its way onto the 2014 general election ballot.

Today, the Interim Legislative Commission approved the final ballot language for SJR 15. Despite some last minute mining industry shenanigans and an awkward argument over the physical impact of mining, the Commission ultimately approved the SJR 15 ballot language 11-1.

So now, there's just one more step left for SJR 15. "We the People" must vote on it this fall.

Ever since the founding of this state, the issue of mining taxation has been a rather contentious, irritating, and occasionally even nauseating one. In a way, it's quite fitting that the 150th anniversary of Nevada statehood will be remembered for the people's vote on fixing a long debated error in our state's Constitution. How better to celebrate 150 years of Nevada than to take one more step to on the path to a functioning state government and a more equitable tax system?

Why Not Gold Butte?

Today, a mountain range in Southern New Mexico is making news. And don't worry, it's making news for a good reason.

Earlier this week, President Obama officially designated the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. This means that starting today, about 496,000 acres of desert wilderness just outside Las Cruces will officially be guaranteed forever wild. This region is home to golden eagles, mule deer, Montezuma quails, and a number of rare animal and plant species.

Oh, and the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is expected to generate about $7.4 million in new economic activity for the Las Cruces area and double the amount of jobs in the region's tourism industry. That's why a large coalition of local business leaders, sporting/hunting enthusiasts, faith leaders, and elected officials support the new monument.

Not too long ago, a similar grassroots campaign emerged for preservation of Gold Butte. Senator Harry Reid (D) & Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) even introduced legislation in Congress to declare a National Conservation Area for Gold Butte. But with hardened G-O-TEA opposition (even from Nevada's Republicans in Congress!), that legislation went nowhere fast.

And then, Cliven Bundy became an instant national G-O-TEA celebrity...



And now, the Gold Butte area is being overrun by armed madness. And as a result, Mesquite area businesses have been losing business.

Today, Southern New Mexico residents are celebrating the new national monument that will preserve a key stretch of the Southern Rocky Mountains while generating more economic activity for the region. Why can't Southern Nevada have the same? Why can't Gold Butte have the respect it deserves? Because a few armed zealots backed by a handful of billionaire zealots want armed anarchy instead?



Other ecologically sensitive areas of the nation have been fortunate enough to earn federal preservation designation. Why not Gold Butte? Why can't Gold Butte be recognized for the treasure it truly is? If Congress won't act to save Gold Butte from the crazed armed thugs who want to continue their illegal "Range War" there, why can't the President take action to save Gold Butte like he just has for New Mexico's Organ Mountains?

Who Expects This?

We were wondering when more folks would notice. Sure, Cliven Bundy became "old news" for national media pundits when he was revealed to be a racist fool. But for the poor residents of Bunkerville & Mesquite, the armed madness continued even after the national media cameras left.

But at least now, Salon's Paul Rosenberg is noticing. And even better, he put together the timeline of what's happened at #BundyRanch since the national media spotlight dimmed. That helps those who haven't been keeping up with the story here.

Yet now, the media spotlight seems to be returning... Or has #BundyRanch just moved to where the national media spotlight is now?



Remember when we discussed "Operation American Spring"? That's actually about to begin tomorrow. The "Patriot Movement" is hoping to take the mayhem it's unleashed on Nevada & Utah all the way to DC.

Meanwhile on this end of the continent, Gun Owners of America Director Larry Pratt is still encouraging the Bundy Gang to do whatever they can to stop federal authorities from enforcing federal law. And not only that, but he's proposing a nifty solution to the Great Western Drought: Just have California's county sheriffs point guns at federal officials to make them release water that California no longer has!



Wow. That makes plenty of sense. (/not)

But then again, none of this really does. Who expects local law enforcement agencies to prevent other law enforcement agencies from enforcing the law? Who expects 10 million people to descend upon the DC area to overthrow our duly elected government? Who expects license to trespass upon the American people's land without facing any consequences?

Who expects this? And who condones this? Think about it.

Free-dumb

Might the armed madness finally be nearing an end? After over a month of Cliven Bundy and his gang of "outlaw cowboys" running rampant and unleashing mayhem upon Gold Butte and the Virgin Valley, law enforcement may finally step up to put an end to this. And we're not just talking about any law enforcement. Now, the FBI is starting to investigate #BundyRanch while the BLM is preparing to take Bundy (back) to court.



Yet as the Bundy Gang are starting to encounter consequences for their actions here in Nevada, that isn't stopping them from spreading their signature brand of armed madness into another state. Last week, they began making noises about BLM land in southeastern Utah. Apparently, they've been upset over the BLM restricting all terrain vehicle (ATV) use in Recapture Canyon, an area well known for Native American petroglyphs and sensitive riparian habitats.

Even before last week, Recapture Canyon had been subjected to repeated acts of vandalism. But last weekend, that vandalism reached new levels when the Bundy Gang decided to take an ATV joy ride through the area. Oh yeah, who cares about some silly birds and burial sites. The Bundy Gang only care about their Free-dumb!

And they're not alone. Since last month, a number of G-O-TEA politicians have joined the Koch funded AFP in encouraging this kind of armed rebellion. And even though they've been trying to avoid Bundy's racist comments, they've still been championing the extreme ideology behind those comments.

They may not be alone, but they are quite clearly in the wrong. The vast majority of Westerners don't condone this behavior. And perhaps more importantly, both state & federal law forbid it.



For all their talk of "loving the Constitution", these "Constitutional conservatives" seem to have no idea how the US Constitution actually works. And they seem to forget that the Constitution set up the very federal government that they oh so hate now.

So what are they fighting for? What are they demanding? What are they making the case for?

Apparently, free-dumb. They demand the free-dumb to vandalize and flat out destroy property that belongs to the American people. And they don't care who gets hurt in the process.

Here in America, these fringe characters have the freedom to be stupid. They just don't have the free-dumb to pee on our legs and tell us it's raining.

Gold Butte Belongs to All of Us.

Across the nation, it was greeted with shock. Around the world, it was met with sneers & eye rolls. But in Ground Zero of this conflict, it's being referred to as "The Day the Law Died".

Yesterday, Let's Talk Nevada co-founder & editor Elaine Hurd went on "Ralston Reports" to talk with Jon Ralston about Cliven Bundy's Gold Butte showdown with the federal government. She's offered a unique perspective here, as she lives in Mesquite and had a front row seat to #BundyRanch long before national G-O-TEA groups turned this into a cause celebre and headline news around the world.



Even before #BundyRanch agitators celebrated their "Second Amendment Remedies" and considered using women as human shields, they were violating court orders and trespassing on federal property. All the "big government welfare" they've already received for over 100 years wasn't enough. They wanted even more.

Has avarice blinded the Bundy Gang to the simple fact that Gold Butte isn't their personal piggy bank to plunder? Gold Butte belongs to all of us. It's a national treasure that should be preserved for all of us to enjoy.



The Bundy Gang and national G-O-TEA astroturf outfits fail to recognize that Gold Butte is public land. That means Gold Butte belongs to all of us. When Cliven Bundy has been releasing his malnourished & neglected cattle into Gold Butte without abiding by the rules, he's ruining property that belongs to all of us. He's evading taxes he owes our duly elected government. He's violating court orders and endangering the desert tortoise and other wildlife that are critical to our local ecosystem. And he's threatening a national treasure that's meant for all of us to cherish.

In our nation of laws, no one is allowed to unilaterally change the rules. Cliven Bundy has broken the rules. The courts have already ruled against him. And sooner or later, law enforcement must be allowed to do its job, which is to enforce the law.

We realize that Cliven Bundy and his cattle are in a rough patch. Thanks to climate change, the Great Western Drought has become such a great threat. However, the solution to this problem is not for one person to break the law and desecrate property that belongs to all of us.

Gold Butte belongs to all of us. Therefore, we all deserve to have a say on how Gold Butte can e better preserved for future generations. And yes, this means Cliven Bundy and his renegade gang need to start obeying the laws that we've all agreed to live by.

This Land Is Our Land

On Thursday, we were alerted to a troubling situation near Bunkerville. A local rancher named Cliven Bundy had been illegally sending his cattle onto BLM land. He had racked up a $1,000,000+ bill after refusing to pay grazing fees for over 20 years. And when the BLM was preparing to put an end to Bundy's illegal grazing on federal land, Bundy decided to call in local and national "TEA" fueled allies to provoke armed conflict with the BLM.

And now, the BLM has been forced to stand down at #BundyRanch in order to prevent a bloody, violent end to this conflict. Already, the situation had gone out of hand.



And even now, #BundyRanch is is still a very volatile situation. It's just escalated from a local embarrassment into a national fiasco. And "TEA Party, Inc. definitely had several hands in escalating this conflict.

Remember when Republicans marketed their party as "the law & order party"? Those days now feel like an eternity ago. Now, we have the Nevada Republican Party cravenly endorsing brazen lawlessness. And G-O-TEA politicians & pundits from across the nation have been piling on to worsen an already fragile situation.



Over the past week, all of us in Southern Nevada have witnessed "Stand Your Ground" run amok... Except this ground does not just belong to Cliven Bundy. Gold Butte is ground that belongs to all of us. There's a reason why it's called "public land". Hint: This land is our land, as we are the public.

This is something the Koch-topus has been trying to make us forget. No wonder why it's reared its ugly head to spin this brazen abuse of public property into some sort of demented "freedom fighting". It's just ironic that the "libertarian" "TEA" powered astroturf network is fighting for the very "welfare" it claims to fight against.

This land is our land. This land is ours to protect, ours to cherish, ours to preserve. It's not there for one misinformed man to exercise his anarchist fantasies on. It's not there for Koch backed militias to play "Cowboys & Cops" on. And it's certainly not there to prove every worst assumption everyone makes of America & Nevada.

This land is our land. It's not just Cliven Bundy's. And it's a damned shame that after benefiting from "big government welfare" for all these decades, he has the nerve to tell us we have no rights on what's our land.

The Real Reasons for Outrage

So we have another outbreak of outrage this week. But is it really all about cattle? Is there some sort of "overreach"? Or are the usual "OUTRAGED!!!" suspects missing the real reasons for outrage?

Cliven Bundy has been illegally letting his cows graze in the Gold Butte area for nearly 20 years. He has refused to pay grazing fees since 1993, and he has used some rather novel excuses to spin his brazen violation of federal law.

So why are Senator Dean Heller (R) & Governor Brian Sandoval (R) screaming about the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stepping up to enforce the law? Are they really trying to argue that this is acceptable?



And is this what the NRA means when it claims "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"? Could this explain why Heller & Sandoval have even opposed modest efforts at gun violence prevention?

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And then, there's the issue of Bundy's specious claim to the land. That land isn't just his. It's ours. It belongs to all 300 million plus Americans. And if he doesn't believe that, he can read the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

That land also belongs to the wildlife who call Gold Butte home. Oh, and that land belonged to the Native Americans who called this region home long before our ancestors immigrated to this continent.

It's unfair to all the rest of us to allow one rancher to let his cattle trample upon the habitat of an endangered species (the desert tortoise). It's especially unfair to let that rancher let his cattle run rampant and ruin land that belongs to all of us. And it's particularly unfair to let this one rancher let his cattle run rampant when he's refused to pay the fee that all area ranchers must pay to use that public land. (After all, the BLM has to maintain this land for everyone.)



Oh, and haven't we talked about this before? Haven't we warned about this before? Haven't Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) delivered barn burning speeches about this? Hasn't the ongoing drought been reminding us of why we can't leave this unchecked?

If Senator Heller & Governor Sandoval are truly offended by what's going down at Gold Butte this week, then why don't they ask their fellow Republicans to stop denying the brutal reality of climate change? It's already having an effect on cattle ranchers. And pretty soon, it will have a major effect on all our lives if we don't step up our game.

Hey, someone had to do it. And since hardly anyone else is discussing the real reasons for outrage regarding this Cliven Bundy "scandal", we figured we might as well wade into this hot mess. So to recap, some G-O-TEA politicians are screaming at the BLM because the BLM is enforcing existing law. A rancher is willfully violating the law and encouraging armed rebellion against the federal government because he doesn't like the law. And meanwhile, the land itself and the original inhabitants of this land are reeling because we've allowed the land to be mistreated by the likes of Bundy... While we threaten the climate that's supposed to sustain this land.

Feeling outraged yet? At least now you understand why we are.

There's Gold Out There.

When most think of Southern Nevada, they envision the glitz & glamour of the Las Vegas Strip. Perhaps some also manage to imagine the emerging "hipster haven" of Downtown Las Vegas. Perhaps a few can even manage to picture the wonder of the Hoover Dam & O'Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge, and/or the natural phenomenon that is Red Rock Canyon.

Just imagine what these potential tourists would think if they knew about Gold Butte.



We've been following this story for some time. Activists have been working for years to secure federal protection for a very special stretch of land. And they encountered a historic breakthrough last May when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) introduced legislation to create a National Conservation Area (NCA) for "Nevada's Piece of the Grand Canyon".

So what's next for Gold Butte? We've been waiting all these years for the final move that will save Gold Butte for future generations. Will this bill finally get us there?



ProgressNow Nevada isn't waiting any longer. It's now calling on President Obama to declare Gold Butte a National Monument. (Under the Antiquities Act, the President has the authority to do so.)

Why? Take a look at the productivity (or lack thereof) of this current Congress. If Congress struggles to even keep the government open and pay its own bills, how can we realistically expect it to handle issues like preserving Gold Butte & other sensitive public lands?

But then again, miracles occasionally happen. And if anyone can make miracles happen on Capitol Hill, it's Harry Reid. Perhaps he can figure out a way to get this Congress to save Gold Butte.

But what if he can't? How much more political limbo can Gold Butte endure? How much more neglect & degradation of this unique Nevada treasure must occur before someone finally takes action to save it? Who really wants to risk waiting until it's too late?

There's Gold out there. And it's just too golden and too precious to let waste. Sooner or later, someone will have to save it. And the one question that remains is: How much longer must we wait?

Lives on the Line, Now Going to Overtime

It was supposed to be dead. Over three years ago, the US Department of Energy formally withdrew its application to complete the long proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. But today, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals looked to breathe new life into the "Screw Nevada" plan.

A federal appeals court said on Tuesday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can no longer delay a decision on whether to issue a permit for the long-stalled nuclear waste project at Yucca Mountain, Nev. 

On a 2-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ordered the commission to promptly decide to license the project or reject the application. 

The Obama administration, which picks the Senate-confirmed commissioners, wants to abandon the project.

So what now? Is Yucca back? Not so fast, says Senator Harry Reid (D). He plans to continue blocking funding for the project... Though he's not enthusiastic about another plan that could end the proposed radioactive waste dump for good.

That leaves only two barriers to Nevada getting dumped with the nation’s nuclear waste: Sen. Harry Reid’s ability to block funding – which depends entirely on Democrats keeping a majority in the Senate – or a scientific determination that Yucca Mountain is unfit. [...]

“We’re not going to get any laws passed to change this,” Reid told reporters during a summit on clean energy in Las Vegas on Tuesday, blaming Tea Party opposition for stymieing any positive momentum toward siting a new repository [which Nevada's other Members of Congress have been attempting to do].

Still, Senator Reid sounds confident Yucca's new lease on life will soon expire (again).

“With no disrespect to the court, this decision means nothing,” Reid said. “Yucca Mountain is an afterthought.”

So what's next? The State of Nevada and/or federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can appeal this to the US Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the NRC can simply rule on the merits (or lack thereof) of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. And as mentioned above, Congress can theoretically (re)consider legislation to site another location for long-term nuclear waste storage.

Oh, and the rest of the nation can reconsider the merits (or lack thereof) of nuclear power. After all, there's a reason why most here don't want all this radioactive waste in our back yard. And there's a reason why these other states with active nuclear power plants want to dump this radioactive waste in Nevada. Hint: This shit is fucking dangerous.

Radioactive waste is tremendously dangerous. Plutonium-239, for example, if inhaled in quantities as small as a millionth of an ounce, will cause cancer with a virtual 100 percent statistical certainty. The nation’s nuclear plants have produced hundreds of tons of plutonium alone. It is among the most dangerous of the waste products, toxic to humans for as much as half a million years. It and the other long-lived radionuclides in high-level waste need to be isolated from the environment for periods vastly longer than any government has even existed. We have no idea what to do with this devilish creation. The latest effort to develop a national storage center in Yucca Mountain, Nev. was finally shelved [until today?] after considerable expense, because it was not a safe enough site — and already too small.

Perhaps the biggest problem with nuclear power is its connection to the proliferation of atomic bombs. Each San Onofre reactor, for example, produced enough weapons-usable plutonium annually to make 100 A-bombs. The technology to enrich uranium for power plants can readily enrich to the bomb-grade levels, as demonstrated by the international concerns about Iran’s activities. The world cannot survive if we do not reverse proliferation risks, and we cannot do that while proliferating civil uses of the same materials and technologies.

Then there is the nuclear terrorism risk. Each nuclear plant is in some fashion a pre-emplaced nuclear weapon for our adversaries. While reactors cannot blow up like an atomic bomb, they can release vast quantities of fallout if a malevolent force successfully disrupted the cooling sufficient to cause a meltdown. Each San Onofre unit, for example, contained a thousand times the long-lived radioactivity of the Hiroshima bomb.

Nuclear power is far from "clean" and/or "safe". We in Nevada have had to learn this the hard way. And now, it looks like the fight to stop the Yucca nuclear waste dump is going into overtime after all. Once again, lives are on the line. Can this (again) be stopped in time?

Warning Signs

This isn't new. For some time, we've been warned of the frightening effects of climate change. We've even been experiencing it first hand here in Nevada.

And now, we're beginning to see more major signs of the coming climate crisis in our backyard. Believe it or not, we're seeing those signs at Lake Tahoe. UC Davis today released this year's State of the Lake Report, and it notes some critical warning signs for Tahoe.

• Annual average surface temperature was 52.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest ever recorded for Lake Tahoe.
• Snow has decreased as a fraction of total precipitation, from an average of 51 percent in 1910 to 36 percent in 2012.
• A continued long-term trend of fewer days with below-freezing temperatures caused snowmelt to peak on May 4, earlier than historical conditions.
• Lake level experienced a net loss in 2012. It rose by only 1.3 feet during the snowmelt, compared with 3.9 feet in 2011. During summer and fall, lake level fell by 2.3 feet.

To be fair, the report isn't all bad news. Clarity actually slightly improved, though that may be mostly due to lower than average precipitation (dropping fewer pollutants into the lake). Also, overall algae levels are down.

Still, the higher temperatures, lower snowpack, and lower lake level are of concern. And again, it's hard to deny that the extended Western Drought brought to us by climate change isn't having an impact here.

And that's not all. We also found out this morning that last year was the hottest on record for the US and one of the Top 10 hottest years ever recorded globally.

In a press conference Tuesday, Kathryn Sullivan, acting NOAA administrator and co-author of the report, said the findings in the report paint a picture of a “new normal” for the Earth, and could help shape U.S. policy for addressing and becoming more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

The peer-reviewed report, which was released Tuesday, painted a sobering picture of climate change, with record sea-level rise, Arctic melting, and warming oceans. Globally, 2012 ranked either as the 8th or 9th warmest year ever recorded, depending on what dataset was used. The report also found summer Arctic sea ice reached a record low — 18 percent lower than the previous record — in 2012, due in part to the Arctic continuing to warm at about twice the rate of other areas.

“Many of the planning models used in infrastructure planning count on the future being statistically a lot like the past,” Sullivan said. Trends of temperature increases and sea level rise highlighted in the report should challenge those models and should be used as reference for city planners, especially on the coast. Sullivan also warned that the U.S. should be prepared for the likelihood that extreme weather events will only get more intense and more frequent as the planet warms.

Yesterday, Senators Harry Reid (D) & Dean Heller (R) joined their California colleagues, Dianne Feinstein (D) & Barbara Boxer (D), to introduce the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. It authorizes $415 million in critical investment in improving environmental quality in the Tahoe region. It's nice to see all the region's US Senators come together for this. And it would be quite nice if this can actually pass and help bring to an end the insane austerity fetish on Capitol Hill.

However, this isn't enough. Senator Reid has already said so himself, along with Senator Boxer.



It's saddening enough that Lake Tahoe faces a new threat in the climate crisis. However, it doesn't end there. Ultimately, we're all at risk if we don't act soon. We need to take heed of the warning signs now.

SB 229 Secures Final Passage, Will Repeal "Trash Tahoe Bill"

This week has truly been a wild one in Carson City. We've seen plenty of action as the 77th session of the Nevada Legislature comes to a close. And yes, we even saw major progress on saving Lake Tahoe.

The Assembly voted 40-1 to pass SB229 which repeals a law passed by the 2011 Legislature that paved the way for Nevada to exit the Tahoe Compact created in the late 1960s to regulate development and oversee environmental controls in the Tahoe Basin that straddles Nevada and California. The Senate passed the measure in April.

"We have found new ways to cooperate, and SB229's repeal of the timetable of withdraw sends a strong message that Nevada supports working together with California to protect the lake," Assemblyman David Bobzien, D-Reno, said while urging his colleagues' support on the floor. [...]

Bobzien urged lawmakers to support a plan to withdraw Nevada's threat to leave the Tahoe Compact with California. The Assembly approved the measure 40-1. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)

The bill was ushered through the Legislature after Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and California Gov. Jerry Brown recently announced an agreement to protect Lake Tahoe's delicate ecosystem while also considering the economy when making land use decisions.

"Tahoe is a natural beauty we have to be proud of in our state and I'm glad everybody could come together to work together," said Nevada Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas. "I'm glad that Tahoe will stay blue and we have good compromise, and I'm glad the governors worked together as well."

"The timetable for withdrawal from the compact was just always a problem," Bobzien said. "The forum for cooperating has always been the compact, so if you make the statement that the compact should be dissolved, how do you expect people to cooperate."

This has been a long time coming. In 2011, the Legislature voted for SB 271. And in turn, that launched a protracted war with California as environmental advocates on both sides of the state line were horrified by this brazen attempt to dismantle safeguards meant to preserve Tahoe.

So this session, SB 229 was introduced to repeal the 76th session's SB 271 and preserve regulatory safeguards for Lake Tahoe. Yet even as SB 229 passed the State Senate last month, its future remained uncertain as Governor Brian Sandoval (R) made veto threats. After all, since corporate developers pushed Tahoe to the brink, they seemed hungry for more.

But then, we saw a surprising twist of fate. Earlier this month, Governor Sandoval announced an agreement with California Governor Jerry Brown (D) to pass SB 229/repeal SB 271. Apparently, California's threats of unilateral regulation and the continuing law suit against the recent revisions to Lake Tahoe's master plan proved to be too much for Governor Sandoval to ignore.

And now, we have overwhelming Assembly passage of SB 229. And under the agreement secured from California Governor Brown, Nevada Governor Sandoval has reversed his stance and promised to sign it into law. While many questions remain over the future of oversight and over-development at Lake Tahoe, at least the lake's advocates can celebrate the end to the all out assault on the entire regulatory framework meant to save Tahoe.

Finally, Save Gold Butte?

We've been waiting for this for some time. We've been waiting for Congressional action on Gold Butte for months. And after several months of waiting, something finally looks to be happening to preserve "Nevada's Piece of The Grand Canyon".

Yesterday, Senator Harry Reid (D) announced he will be introducing legislation to designate Gold Butte as a National Conservation Area.

“Gold Butte is Nevada’s piece of the Grand Canyon,” Reid said in a statement. “As more and more people discover this remarkable place, we must protect these resources for future generations while continuing to allow recreational opportunities we enjoy today.”

Gold Butte’s attraction lies largely in its history. The site is home to historic mines, ancient Native American petroglyphs, wild sandstone formations and is a habitat for critical wildlife species, including the desert tortoise.

A coalition of conservation, community and business organizations applauded Reid’s action Thursday. Businesspeople who operate tour companies say the designation would turn Gold Butte into a go-to destination. [...]

“We are thrilled that Sen. Reid recognizes all the amazing things about Gold Butte,” said Nancy Hall of Friends of Gold Butte. “This diverse landscape represents our cultural history with petroglyphs dating back centuries, it is home to threatened species and it provides top-notch recreational opportunities including hiking, photography and bicycle and off-road vehicle riding.”

Some outdoors enthusiasts say the designation could lead to Mesquite becoming the “gateway to Gold Butte.”

“The addition of Gold Butte to our map of destinations in Southern Nevada will be important for businesses like mine to grow, creating more jobs and more opportunities for all Nevadans,” said Jared Fisher, president of Escape Adventures, a Las Vegas-based tour company with a second tour center in Moab, Utah.

We've discussed before the potential for Gold Butte to create more jobs in Southern Nevada, especially in areas like Mesquite that need this economic boost the most. But really, preserving Gold Butte can only help the entire region. Tourists come to the Las Vegas area for many reasons today. Some love the excitement of the Las Vegas Strip, while others want to escape the bright lights of Las Vegas Boulevard and experience the natural wonder of the Mojave Desert. Saving Gold Butte makes a win-win situation for all.



Yet while many in the community have been applauding Senator Reid's big announcement and encouraging Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) to introduce a companion House bill, Senator Dean Heller (R) refuses to cooperate. Why? Oh, "he has issues".

Never mind that Gold Butte is one of Southern Nevada's greatest natural treasures. Never mind that this special place has Native American petroglyphs, rare wildlife, multicolored rocks, and even more natural beauty. And never mind that this place can boost the local economy if properly protected. Nope, Senator Heller prefers to play petty politics with serious policy.

So it's unclear as to what the future holds for Senator Reid's bill. But at least now, someone in Congress is ready to act.

So What's Next for Tahoe?

So far this year, we've been wondering about the future of Lake Tahoe. While SB 229 passed the Nevada State Senate last month and seemed to be moving in the Assembly, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) did not look amused. Rather, he seemed content with the continuing threat of Nevada pulling out of TRPA, the agency that oversees development and environmental stewardship in the Lake Tahoe region.

Yet today, we saw a stunning new development. Earlier today, Governor Sandoval announced a new deal with California Governor Jerry Brown (D) on the future of Lake Tahoe.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and California Gov. Jerry Brown issued a joint statement Tuesday renewing their commitment to do what’s best “for the environment and economy of the Lake Tahoe region.”

Under the agreement amendments will be introduced to bills in the Nevada and California state legislatures that repeal Nevada’s planned withdrawal from the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact in 2015 and California’s proposal to re-establish a California Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in 2014.

The governors also agree to require consideration of economic conditions when adopting and implementing regional plans in the Tahoe Basin that straddles both states.

And the Nevada Conservation League had this to say on today's big development.

“The people of Nevada and California made it clear that protection of Lake Tahoe is a high priority,” said Kyle Davis, political director of the Nevada Conservation League. “We want to thank Governors Brown and Sandoval, Majority Leader Denis, Speaker Kirkpatrick and all of the other Nevada and California legislators that worked to make sure that both states were committed to the future of the lake.”

“We have been working all year to find a solution that would make both states happy while also preserving strong environmental regulation and protection for Lake Tahoe by keeping intact the Tahoe Compact,” said Darcie Goodman-Collins. “This agreement does just that. We hope for swift passage through both legislatures so that Tahoe’s communities can move forward with some certainty about their regulatory environment.”

So finally, the threat of obliterating oversight of development at Lake Tahoe is finally coming to an end. After 2 years of threats to the lake, all for the sake of corporate greed and political payback, some sanity may finally be returning to Carson City. So game over?

Maybe not. The latest update to the Tahoe Compact still faces a federal law suit. And environmental activists are still concerned about all the development TRPA has already been greenlighting for the region.

So perhaps SB 271 has already served its purpose...

BTW, SB 229 ("Save Tahoe Bill") Also Passed Yesterday.

Oh, yes. That's right. We have even more hot Nevada Legislature news this morning!

We've been closely following SB 229 here. That's "The Save Tahoe Bill" that stands to repeal 2011's SB 271 and fully reinstate Nevada's commitment to cooperate with California and the federal government to preserve & protect the Lake Tahoe. Earlier this month, SB 229 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

And then, there was last night. Shortly after another closely watched Senate bill passed late last night, SB 229 then passed in a strictly party line 11-10 vote. All the Democrats voted in favor, while all the Republicans voted against.

Nonetheless, it passed. And it's now heading to the Assembly. We'll see soon if more legislators are willing to correct an embarrassing mistake.

Oh, and there's also this. Yesterday was Earth Day. And really, what better way is there for Nevada to show commitment to smart environmental stewardship than to restore our commitment to cherishing one of our greatest natural treasures?

Assembly Members, take notice.

SB 229 "Save Tahoe Bill" Passes Committee

Earlier today, we discussed the ongoing saga over the fate of Lake Tahoe and the regulatory agency (TRPA) that protects it. In March, SB 229 was introduced to repeal SB 271, the bill passed in 2011 that allows Nevada to withdraw from TRPA if it "goes too far" in protecting Lake Tahoe from overdevelopment and other forms of environmental harm. And today, SB 229 also had its ultimate day in committee.

Just minutes ago, the Senate Natural Resources Committee voted 3-2 in favor of SB 229. Senators James Settlemeyer (R-Minden) and Pete Goicoechea (R-Eureka) voted against SB 229. Meanwhile, Senators Aaron Ford (D-Spring Valley), Mark Manendo (D-Paradise), and Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas) all voted in favor.

So SB 229 passed committee, and it's now going to the full Senate.

So what happens next? We're not quite sure yet. There may be enough votes in the Senate to pass SB 229. And there may even be enough votes in the Assembly. However, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) has recently reiterated his support for 2011's SB 271... Which means he opposes 2013's SB 229.

But at least for now, SB 229 will live to see another day.

Why Aren't We Disturbed by This?

Late last month, we discussed an important environmental bill in the Nevada Legislature, SB 229. This bill is out to repeal SB 271, the controversial bill passed in 2011 that threatened Nevada's withdrawl from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). TRPA is the enforcement mechanism of the compact between California and Nevada (and overseen by the federal government) to protect Lake Tahoe.

In June 2011, we noted the immense amount of juice that the lobbying firm R&R Partners has over Nevada Government. It has juice in the Legislature. And it has juice with the Governor. And is it any coincidence that R&R pushed hard for SB 271's passage? Oh yes, and don't forget that R&R represents various casinos and developers who are interested in more development at Lake Tahoe.

Fast forward to December 2012. By that time, TRPA had a new Regional Plan for the first time since 1987. And surprise, the new Regional Plan allows for more development around the lake. Yet when Secretary of State Ross Miller (D) signaled his support for rescinding SB 271 (he oversaw the revision of the original bill in 2011), the Nevada Conservation League signaled willingness to work with the new Regional Plan so long as SB 271 is repealed and the threat of the bi-state Tahoe Compact's destruction is withdrawn. However, other environmentalists, like the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Club, filed a federal law suit to scrap the new Regional Plan and reinstate stronger protections of Tahoe that are in line with the original Compact, along with the approval to it given by Congress in 1980.

Fast forward to this week. New controversy has arisen over testimony recently heard on SB 229 in Carson City. Earlier this month, the State Senate held a hearing and TRPA Board Member Steve Robinson testified against it. Why would Robinson testify against a bill written to drop the threat of abolishing his own agency? It turns out that Steve Robinson has a conflict of interest.

Robinson was testifying on Senate Bill 229, a measure backed by environmentalists that would preserve the bi-state compact by repealing the 2011 law allowing Nevada to withdraw from the TRPA if changes aren’t made to ease development around the lake.

The hearing highlighted Robinson’s dual role as both lobbyist and TRPA board member — a role that environmentalists say represents an inherent conflict of interest when it comes to protecting Lake Tahoe.

Robinson is the former government affairs director for R&R Partners, one of the largest lobbying firms in Nevada that was retained by Tahoe businesses to shepherd through the 2011 law, Senate Bill 271. Robinson is no longer an employee of R&R Partners, but is contracted with them to lobby for two mining companies. [...]

“Given the role R&R played in passing SB 271, it certainly concerns me,” said Kyle Davis, political director for the Nevada Conservation League, of Robinson’s dual role. “He’s been very good at making it clear when he’s working on TRPA issues and when he’s working on R&R issues. But the TRPA issues are completely intertwined with what R&R does. I don’t know how you keep the two separate.”

Neither do I, especially when R&R is actively working to keep this cloud of uncertainty over TRPA, and maybe even let it fall apart completely, in order to please its clients. After all, why let some big, silly lake get in the way of lucrative business?

As we explained last month, this is actually foolish thinking. Tourism and commerce at Tahoe ultimately rely on the lake's clarity and the overall environmental health of the region. Without a blue lake and nearby wildlife, who would want to visit Tahoe? Think about that.

I guess the R&R and its clients are not. And to be fair, that's not really what they're about. They just care about their bottom lines.

So why let them dictate the terms of preservation in and around Lake Tahoe? This is why the Compact was originally drawn in 1968, and why Congress gave the Compact its blessing in 1980. And this is why TRPA is supposed to exist. TRPA is supposed to protect Lake Tahoe, not private developers who want to build too much there.

Nevada risks breaching the trust of California, blowing up TRPA, and losing a very costly law suit because of the greed of a few companies and the immense juice of one lobbying firm in our state's government. Think about that. Why aren't we more disturbed by this?

For Green & Green ($), We Need to Keep Lake Tahoe Blue.

How important is being green? Over the weekend, the Reno Gazette Journal's web site ran this blog item about Reno businesses seeing green (as in $) in going green.

“Sustainability is very important for job attraction,” [Mike] Kazmierski [President and CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada] said. “Companies are looking for communities that embrace sustainability. It sets an image of an environmentally friendly community, it’s attractive to young professionals, and it speaks to clean air and water and to the quality of life.”

And being environmentally friendly speaks to a company’s bottom line.

“Employees like to work for businesses that are environmentally friendly, so you attract a different kind of employee,” Kazmierski said.

“Customers want to deal with businesses that are environmentally friendly so you might grow in a different way that you didn’t expect. … It’s not just fluff, it’s a decision businesses need to make to stay competitive in the years ahead.”

I guess a growing number of companies throughout Nevada are "seeing the light" in finding profitability in social responsibility. That's nice. So when will certain developers looking to pave paradise in Lake Tahoe realize this?

In 2011, the Nevada Legislature passed SB 271. It's also known around these parts as "The Trash Tahoe Bill". That's because this bill threatened to withdraw Nevada from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) isn't weakened enough to allow for massive new development around the lake.

Last December, talk was brewing of repealing SB 271. After all, a new agreement on TRPA was reached. And now, we finally have SB 229.

The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs introduced Senate Bill 229 on Monday. The bill would completely repeal 2011’s Senate Bill 271, which threatens to pull Nevada out of the bi-state planning agency in October 2015 if certain changes to the agency aren’t made. SB 271 authorizes Nevada’s governor to postpone the withdrawal until October 2017 under certain circumstances.

One of the most significant changes sought by SB 271 was the passage of an updated regional plan guiding development and land use throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The TRPA’s Governing Board passed its Regional Plan Update in December. The Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore sued to block the plan’s implementation last month. The environmental groups believe rules in the new plan will not accomplish TRPA’s environmental goals and will cause a new era of over-development at the lake. Proponents of the RPU contend the new rules will help ease burdensome restrictions on basin residents and businesses, while helping advance protection of Lake Tahoe.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe and Nevada Conservation League have urged legislators to repeal SB 271, especially in light of the RPU’s passage. Maintaining TRPA’s Compact is key to protecting the lake, according to the groups.

“Although the passage of SB 271 was a black eye for Nevada, we are committed to make sure that it does not result in the destruction of the Tahoe Planning Compact and the health of the lake,” the Conservation League wrote in a statement this week.

Back in February, Nevada Conservation League's Kyle Davis hinted at this strategy when he appeared on "To the Point" with Anjeanette Damon.

(Go to 13:00 for the Tahoe segment.)



Since SB 271's passage, Nevada has landed into the political and environmental hot seat. California, the other state covered by the current TRPA, is considering a "contingency plan" should Nevada follow through in pulling out of TRPA. Basically, the California Legislature is debating legislation to set up its own environmental stewardship plan for Lake Tahoe if Nevada allows SB 271 to stand.

Meanwhile, California officials began setting up a contingency plan in case the bi-state TRPA is dismantled. The California legislation is authored by the Senate leader [Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento] and by Sen. Fran Pavley, an Agoura Hills Democrat, who often takes a lead role in California environmental issues. About two-thirds of Lake Tahoe is in California.

Their bill, SB 630, would set up a California TRPA with a nine-member board to regulate development on the California side of the lake, the largest alpine lake in North America. Appointees would be drawn from the boards of supervisors in Placer and El Dorado counties, the Tahoe City Council and members of the public. The Assembly speaker and Senate leader each would have the authority appoint two members.

“California must have a plan in place to protect Lake Tahoe," Pavley said in the statement. "Due to unilateral action taken by the state of Nevada, the governance structure that has served Lake Tahoe for over four decades is now in jeopardy. We have sought to partner with the state of Nevada on this issue, and still see that as the best way forward.”

On the Nevada side, if the bi-state TRPA is dissolved, that state’s regulatory authority would be handled by a Nevada TRPA, which is poised to be set up under the provisions of the pullout bill.

And that's not all. While California is responding to Nevada's threat of unilateral deregulation with unilateral regulation, Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and other grassroots environmental activists are going to court. Oh yes, that's right. They've filed suit to challenge the new TRPA compact. In their eyes, the new TRPA compact itself allows for overdevelopment at the cost of the well-being of the lake and its wildlife.

“In 1980, Congress, along with the states of California and Nevada, specifically entrusted a
regional body to oversee all environmental protection and land use at Lake Tahoe, including
project approvals, to ensure that local governments do not allow runaway development,” said
Trent Orr, attorney with the public interest law firm Earthjustice, which represents the
conservation groups. “The 1980 Compact requires TRPA to approve all projects within the
region, and to establish minimum regional standards for project approval. They can’t legally cede
that power and leave it to the local governments that failed to protect Tahoe in the past. There is
no reason to believe that cash-strapped local governments would adopt and enforce adequate
environmental protection measures in the face of lucrative development proposals.” [...]

“This new plan fails to recognize that an increase in buildings, rooftops, and pavement will mean
an increase in the amount of polluted rain and snowmelt - - runoff that flows directly into the
Lake,” said Laurel Ames of the Tahoe Area Sierra Club in California. “Stormwater from
pavement and roads is the leading cause of the Lake’s loss of clarity. Allowing more pavement
and roads seriously undermines efforts to clean up the once pristine lake.”

The revised plan also allows local governments to set development regulations that do not meet
minimum regional standards, including standards for how much land can be paved, or
“covered.” This violates the Compact’s requirement that TRPA establish “a minimum standard
applicable throughout the region.”

“This is a wrenching departure from past practice and is not in line with the spirit or law of the
bi-state Compact created to protect the lake,” said David von Seggren of the Toiyabe Sierra Club
in Nevada. “The people of Nevada, just like the people of California, care about the ecological
health of Lake Tahoe. Rather than weakening the Compact or threatening to pull out completely,
our leaders should be urging TRPA to develop the region in a way that not only protects the
ecosystem but actually improves it.”

In 2011, proponents of SB 271 claimed this bill was needed to cut through "excessive red tape" while allowing for updated environmental standards. Instead, it's created a legal nightmare. TRPA must now fight a federal law suit thanks to a revision in the compact that was exacerbated by SB 271. Meanwhile in Sacramento, California's Legislature is now considering retaliatory legislation should Nevada keep SB 271 and essentially kill TRPA as we know it. Let's face it, this has officially become a hot mess.

SB 271 was supposed to solve a problem. Instead, it's been creating new problems for Lake Tahoe and the State of Nevada. While local environmental groups disagree on whether the new TRPA compact is acceptable, they all agree SB 271 can't be allowed to wreak any more havoc on Lake Tahoe.

As a top tourist destination, Lake Tahoe is critical to the economic health of Northern Nevada as well as the environmental well being of the region. Without a clear, blue lake, can the Reno area still count on the millions of tourists and their dollars which flow through the region? I doubt it.

So if Nevada truly cares about green and green, then the Legislature should consider adopting SB 229 to repeal SB 271 and put an end to the legal mayhem that threatens the future of Lake Tahoe. Do we really want to risk losing visitors to Tahoe? And do we want to risk forever losing one of Nevada's greatest natural treasures? Think about it.

What the Frack?! (Continued)

Last month, we were shocked to discover that state officials are considering allowing fracking in Nevada. Now, we have more concrete details of what's being considered. Houston based Noble Energy has plans to frack 40,000 acres of public land just outside Wells, and about 50 miles east of Elko, by the end of the year. In addition to this, Noble Energy has secured leases on a total of 350,000 acres of public land in Elko County with plans to frack all of it.

Again, Noble Energy wants to start fracking in Elko County by the end of this year. And it wants to frack even more land next year. If Noble Energy succeeds, get used to seeing this here.





This is the real damage caused by fracking in North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and other states where fracking has already occurred. And this is what will come to Nevada if fracking is allowed here. That's why the Center for Biological Diversity is asking the BLM to stop this proposed project. And the Center will likely not be alone in doing so.

“Fracking on these sensitive public lands in Nevada could threaten human health and our spectacular natural heritage,” said Rob Mrowka, a Nevada-based ecologist with the Center. “Use of this polluting technology so close to human habitation is fraught with danger, which is why many states and municipalities are fighting to ban fracking.”

Fracking is a controversial form of oil and gas extraction that involves blasting huge volumes of water, mixed with toxic chemicals and sand, deep into the earth to break up rock formations. Fracking has been linked to air and water pollution; one study identified more than 25 percent of reported fracking chemicals as known carcinogens. Other fracking chemicals harm the nervous, endocrine, immune and cardiovascular systems and can contribute to serious health problems in people and animals living near fracked wells.

Fracking has been tied to contamination of surface and ground waters; well water from household taps in some areas can be set on fire because of methane contamination in the water supply. The federal government recently confirmed fracking-related contamination of water in Pavillion, Wyo. [...]

“The area of this proposed project has been identified by the Nevada Department of Wildlife as essential and irreplaceable habitat for the greater sage grouse, a species being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act,” Mrowka added. “The last thing these rare, spectacular birds need is gas-field development in their habitat.”

This is the frightening reality of fracking. And this is why Nevadans must think long and hard about these consequences. Do we want tap water that can be set on fire? And do we want to put our land, our wildlife, and ultimately our people in such danger?