The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Basin and Range National Monument is seeking public review and comment on a preliminary environmental assessment (EA) analyzing a proposed conservation easement that would allow the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Triple Aught Foundation to grant BLM specific rights on approximately 1,300 acres of private land in and around Michael Heizer’s City in Garden Valley, in eastern Nevada. The private land is surrounded by BLM-administered lands designated by Presidential proclamation in July 2015 as the Basin and Range National Monument. The 30-day public review and comment period concludes Monday, Aug. 8.
The purpose of the easement is to protect the easement area, in particular City, from uses inconsistent with the area’s conservation values; assure that the open area will remain in a combination of its agricultural, scenic, and open space condition, and prevent uses that would diminish, impair or interfere with conservation values; permit continuation of agricultural operations in and on the open area, subject to terms of the easement; and allow for public access to City in a manner that protects City and the conservation values of the property.
The easement would grant BLM rights to preserve and protect the property’s conservation values, in particular City, and the natural, scenic and open condition of the open area; to access the property to monitor for compliance and enforce terms of the easement; require the grantor to perform upkeep and otherwise maintain, rehabilitate or improve the property to protect or restore conservation values; prevent activity or use inconsistent with the purposes of the easement; and provide for signage making the public aware of the existence and terms of the easement. Triple Aught Foundation, the grantor, would continue to be responsible for all taxes and assessments, including taxes resulting from the easement; for the upkeep, maintenance and preservation of City and the property, and all costs and liabilities related to the ownership, operation, upkeep and maintenance of the property; and insurance coverage.
The preliminary EA is available online at http://bit.ly/29tpKkt.
Submit written comments to the BLM Basin and Range National Monument, P.O. Box 237, Caliente, NV 89008. Fax comments to (775) 726-8111. Submit comments electronically at blm_nv_city_easement@blm.gov. Please reference Conservation Easement when providing input.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For additional information, contact Alicia Styles, Monument Manager, at (775) 726-8100.
