Take Action!
Below are addresses and a sample letter to send to decision makers
Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Director Jon Raby:
jraby@blm.gov
Clark County Commissioners:
District A - Commissioner Michael Naft
ccdista@ClarkCountyNV.gov
District B - Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick
ccdistb@ClarkCountyNV.gov
District C - Commissioner Larry Brown
ccdistc@ClarkCountyNV.gov
District D - Commissioner Lawrence Weekly
ccdistd@ClarkCountyNV.gov
District E - Commissioner Tick Segerblom
ccdiste@ClarkCountyNV.gov
District F - Commissioner Justin Jones
ccdistf@ClarkCountyNV.gov
District G - Commissioner Jim Gibson
ccdistg@ClarkCountyNV.gov
Nevada State Assemblywoman Heidi Swank, Chair, Legislative Committee on Public Lands:
Heidi.Swank@asm.state.nv.us
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection:
Greg Lovato
901 South Stewart Street, Suite 5003
Carson City, Nevada, 89701
glovato@ndep.nv.gov
Your Senator, Congressperson:
You can find your representative here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative, and Senator here: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sample letter:
The Honorable (Name)
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Decision Maker,
The Bureau of Land Management is now in the process of trying to permit the 3,000 acre Yellow Pine Solar Project on valuable public lands in Clark County, Nevada.
Approval of the project would result in the removal of over 3,000 acres or 4.6 square miles of good quality desert tortoise habitat. The desert tortoise is Federally Threatened and is losing habitat throughout its range. It may need to be up-listed to Endangered status with the cumulative developments happening on its habitat.
There are no peer reviewed studies that show that vegetation mowing and allowing desert tortoises to re-enter a site with solar panels has long-term success.
Based on population estimates, approximately 53 adult desert tortoises, 276 subadults or juveniles, and 69 hatchlings are anticipated to be displaced or killed by project-related construction activities via translocation.
Vegetation mowing will have very big impacts. All vegetation will be cut. Burrowing animals would be killed and deafened. Many of the estimated 398 desert tortoises would be missed and killed. Biological soil crusts would be destroyed. Invasive annual weeds would move in on the mowed site.
Tortoises would be allowed to re-enter the site. Tortoises could be killed by operation and maintenance activities because vehicles will enter the habitat for maintenance. Shade from solar panels could inhibit tortoises coming out of hibernation in late winter and spring.
The project would destroy 92,930 Mojave yuccas, many hundreds of years old
The project would be near part of the historic Old Spanish Trail. The massive build-out of solar panels, new roads and transmission lines will permanently destroy the historic and wild character of the area.
The project will have visual impacts that cannot be mitigated. It will be visible from the scenic Tecopa Road, Mt Charleston and 3 California Wilderness Areas.
A large-scale solar project of this size only creates about 5-15 full time jobs.
Several thousand acres of land are being developed in the Las Vegas Valley for new housing. The amount of space located on the rooftops and over parking lots provides a more efficient alternative for solar panels, and eliminates the need for costly transmission lines. This easily justifies a No Action Alternative for the Yellow Pine Solar Project.
(Sign name and address)
