Friday, April 3, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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The Yellow Pine Solar Facility would require the clearing of 3,000 acres of pristine Mojave wilderness off of Tecopa Road and Highway 160. This biodiverse area is home to old-growth Joshua trees and Yucca, as well as the federally threatened desert tortoise. This is the first of several utility-scale solar projects the Bureau of Land Management wants to situate in this area, destroying the beautiful landscape and recreation opportunities between Las Vegas and Pahrump.
On March 20, amidst the chaos caused by the coronavirus, the BLM opened a 45-day public comment period. Since people cannot attend public meetings, Herman Pinales of the BLM has said that the agency is considering hosting “virtual meetings.” This would limit the comments they receive; not everyone has access to computers, and many are not familiar enough with the technology to meaningfully participate in a meeting online.
Furthermore, a whistleblower recently outed the BLM’s Battle Mountain and Nevada State offices, exposing their close relationship with industrial developers, as well as the environmental and public health regulations they were intentionally overlooking. The comment period should be halted or extended until in-person meeting are safe to hold.
