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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, 200
1 - 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, 200
1 - 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.

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