May 8, 2008
Coyote Springs Request Congressional Letter

Photo by Dave Maxwell Doug Carriger of Coyote Springs speaking to Commissioners.

By Dave Maxwell, Staff Writer

Speaking to the Lincoln County Commissioners May 5, Doug Carriger, Senior Vice-President of Community Affairs for Coyote Springs requested, “A letter be sent to members of the Nevada U.S. Congressional delegation that would support the reconfiguration of the land in Coyote Springs.”

Carriger noted that two environmental groups, the Western Lands Exchange Project from Seattle and the Nevada Outdoor Recreation Association, several months ago filed a law suit against the Bureau of Land Management saying that moving the desert tortoise habitat lands to the east side of the Coyote Springs property was “not a correct type of land transfer” and are contesting that in court.

Carriger told Commissioners it made a lot of sense for the tortoise and the development of the Coyote Springs community to have the BLM change that configuration and to place lands on the east side of the property adjacent to BLM lands and wilderness area. This would provide the area for the tortoise that was desired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The transfer of land has the approval of both the BLM and Fish and Wildlife.

Carriger said the original configuration of 6,219 acres of lease land that was dedicated for the desert tortoise in Clark County and the 7,548 acres of land from Lincoln County, “Would look like a donut hole in the middle of all the private property.” Carriger said that Fish and Wildlife biologists feel now “that deflowering the land around that donut hole would adversely affect the tortoise. They suggested that the land for the tortoise habitat, same number of acres, be moved over on the eastern edge of our property.”

Some months ago, the two environmental groups sued the BLM claiming they had done an illegal land exchange. He also explained the suit is currently in the courts and Carriger thought it would take a long time to settle. In the meantime Coyote Springs Investments was requesting the County Commission to, “support Congressional legislation that would establish the leased lands and private lands in Clark County and Lincoln County that the Fish and Wildlife and BLM has approved so that we can move forward with our development without waiting years for this to go through the courts.”

The new location would reserve the land for the desert tortoise to be placed in later. Carriger said the desert tortoise is not being moved from the native habitat within the Coyote Springs developments, primarily residential and commercial, until work in those areas begin. Then the tortoises would be removed to a recovery facility in Las Vegas, “where they are maintained separate from other tortoises so as not to contaminate the species.” Later, after the tortoise population at the facility has been enlarged, the tortoises can be reintroduced to their native habitat in the designated lands within Coyote Springs.

Carriger said that Coyote Springs employees and subcontractors are required to go through training regarding the tortoise and have to even be “certified to be on site where the tortoises are.” If a tortoise is seen on the work site, the workers are instructed to leave it alone and call the experts who will come and remove the tortoise to the facility in Las Vegas.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Carriger added, “and our company endeavors to do the right thing.”

Commissioners gave unanimous approval to his request a letter be sent to Washington.

Map provided by Doug Carriger, Senior Vice-President of Community Affairs for Coyote Springs Coyote Springs Investment - Original Aerojet Land Configuration.

Map provided by Doug Carriger, Senior Vice-President of Community Affairs for Coyote Springs Coyote Springs Investment Private and Leased Lands Proposed Land Configuration under the Preferred Alternative.