2024Vol41No3NBUJournal

We urge the BLM to follow and enact this policy in Esmeralda County before authorizing such projects to move forward and be developed. Finding the right balance to protect our natural and cultural heritage and the ability for sportsmen in and from out of the state to maintain their right to, and the government’s obligation to provide for, their ability to continue their long-standing tradition while helping the nation move to more green energy is critical. In fact, there is a viable alternative: co-locate the GLWP to the already developed transmission right of way to the north and east and move the proposed solar development complex into and nearby the previously identified Millers Solar Energy Zone (see map). If this were to occur, the core of the Esmeralda County desert bighorn sheep population’s habitat would be spared. To better accomplish this goal, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, the Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife, multiple Native American Tribes and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited are asking you for immediate action to protect our coveted desert bighorn sheep population from the BLM’s proposed fast-track approval of the Greenlink West Project Transmission line and subsequently, the Esmeralda Seven solar and Coaldale Junction Solar Energy projects along with all future utility scale solar energy developments that we all can be assured are to follow. We are asking for these projects to be placed responsibly in areas that hold the least impacts to our public lands along with increasing our efforts of wildlife and habitat conservation. To better help us in this fight, please review and sign the petition found at: https://www. nevadawilderness.org/esmeralda_petition

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