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NORA Proposal - Senate Bill 59 3 



AREA II 



Our support for the inclusion of AREA II in the Bill is 

 predicated on the following: 



1) that the proposed boundary be changed to run from Nevada 

 Highway 3C due east along the northern boundary of 



Township 8 North to the existing boundary of the Hawthorne Army 

 Ammunition Depot, then south and east coincident with the Depot 

 boundary, to the proposed boundary running southward from the 

 Depot along Nevada Highway 31, thus increasing the acreage to be 

 transferred to USPS by BLM by 82,240 acres; 



2) that the proposed transfer of 14,080 acres of USFS land 

 recommended as suitable for inclusion in the Wilderness System as 

 part of USFS RARE II AREA 4-989 be deleted from the Bill, and 

 that the proposed boundary be redrawn so as to retain these areas 

 in the National Forest System and in USFS RARE II AREA 4-989; 



3) that the entire East Walker River drainage in Nevada and 

 contained in the expanded USFS acreage as we have proposed it, be 

 included in a Congressional ly mandated ACEC to be managed 

 principally as a natural area and for public recreation; to 

 preserve riparian habitat, especially along the East Walker 

 River; enhance wildlife habitat including fisheries; and preserve 

 natural, scenic, cultural, and historic values. 



A nonessential, but desirable boundary change would be to 

 use the West Walker River as the administrative boundary rather 

 than Nevada Highway 3 west of Wellington, thus keeping BLM and 

 USFS lands well blocked up and reducing the acreage to be 

 transferred from BLM by 1,480 acres. 



AREA III 



While we strongly recommend that AREA III be deleted from 

 the Bill, our support for- the inclusion of AREA III in the Bill 

 would be predicated on the following: 



1) expansion of the present 40 acre Steamboat Springs ACEC 

 to 80 acres by adding the 40 acre BLM parcel immediately 

 northwest of the present BLM ACEC, and creation of a 

 Congressional ly mandated ACEC for the 80 acre ACEC to be managed 

 as a natural area and for public recreation with special emphasis 

 on the preservation of the geysers and hot springs and continued 

 survival of the threatened species of Steamboat buckwheat, 

 Eriogonum ovalifolium var. williamsiae ; 



2) creation of a Congressionally mandated ACEC for the 4040 

 acre Jack's Valley WMA with management emphasis on enhanced 

 wildlife management including habitat improvement. 



