Gov. Brian Sandoval has thrown down the gauntlet in the
battle over hardrock mining’s future in Nevada, taking the bold step of
calling out Sally Jewell over management of agencies she oversees as
Secretary of the Interior.
Their response will reveal
whether the proposed mineral withdrawal is more about helping the sage
grouse or harming the state’s mining industry.
The Bureau
of Land Management’s comment period closed three weeks ago, and
Nevadans could learn by the end of the month whether the current
two-year ban will be extended to 20 years. If it is, there will be no
exploration along the northern edge of our state, nor in much of Idaho
and southeastern Oregon.
Sandoval submitted the state’s
official comments by the Jan. 15 deadline, including a revision that
followed his talks with Jewell in early December. “Secretary Jewell
committed to robust collaboration on the mineral withdrawal process,” he
announced at the time. “The Secretary understands the national security
and economic development importance of the mineral potential in
Nevada.”
The deal outlined by our governor would preserve
mining exploration on most of the proposed withdrawal area, while
protecting critical sage grouse habitat in other areas. But it may be in
jeopardy, because on Jan. 28 Sandoval issued a press release putting
Jewell on the spot.
“I have always taken the Secretary at
her word but if her agencies refuse to implement her publicly stated
policies, the state cannot assume our negotiations are happening in good
faith and my administration will consider the other legal options we
have identified in the past,” he wrote.
One of “her”
agencies, the BLM, is currently run by Neil Kornze of Elko. When
questioned about the governor’s proposal by The Associated Press,
Kornze’s Nevada spokesman gave an ambiguous response.
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