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Testimony of R. E. Clark Continued: 



Nevada were provided to the Department of the Interior where 

 they were reviewed and their findings agreed with. Those 

 findings are documented in the Department's Resource 

 Assertainment Report. With your permission, I would like to 

 make the environmental report a part of the record at this 

 point. 



Throughout this process, we have attempted to meet with 

 every conceivable group of interested individuals in both 

 the State of Florida and the State of Nevada. We have 

 circulated our environmental report to all of the major 

 national and local environmental groups. We sought their 

 reviews and input. Mr Chairman, I have here a list of the 

 meetings which we have held with interested parties as we 

 prepared this exchange as well as a list of those groups 

 which have received copies of our environmental report. 

 Both of these lists can be found in the addenda to my 

 written testimony. 



Obviously, it was not possible to respond positively to 

 everyone from whom we received input. For example, the off- 

 road vehicle enthusiasts wanted more open land, while the 

 Desert Tortoise supporters asked for more land off limits. 

 Clearly, we cannot do both, and frankly the status quo will 

 not permit both. However, we believe we have reached a 

 beneficial decision. 



A major issue we have been sensitive to since the outset of 

 this exchange proposal has been the need to provide adequate 

 protection for the wildlife resources within the exchange 

 area in Nevada. As a result of these concerns, we have 

 agreed to set aside some 29,000 acres within the Coyote 

 Springs Valley in Nevada as areas which are restricted in 

 use. This represents 70% of the entire Coyote Springs 

 Valley exchange area. It is comprised of roughly 11,000 

 acres for a utility corridor and another 18,000 acres which 

 will be reserved to protect the wildlife resources in the 

 area — particulary the Desert Tortoise. As a result of these 

 reservations, we feel we have an excellent blend of 

 environmental protection and commercial land usage in a 

 solidly compatible manner. 



Mr. Chairman, we strongly believe Desert Tortoise will be 

 better off under this proposed land exchange than they are 

 now. The tortoise, which has been faced with a 50 percent 

 "die-off" mortality rate in other parts of Nevada through 

 poaching and other activities, will be protected on our 

 property since the land will be posted and patrolled and 

 tortoise will have ample area to survive. We are sincerely 

 grateful to the help we have received from the Desert 

 Tortoise Council in commenting on our plans. 



All in all, ./e have agreed to 11 stipulations with the 

 Department of the Interior which both we and Interior 



