September 13 2007
Caliente Approves Final Draft of Lincoln County Habitat Conservation Plan

By Dave Maxwell

Like the rest of the towns in the county, Caliente approved the proposed final draft of the County’s Habitat Conservation Plan including the Implementation Agreement. But, at the City Council meeting last week, Mayor Kevin Phillips did take time to complain to those in attendance that “after seven years of working on this thing, all of a sudden it’s a genius idea within the service that each of the entities (communities) submits an application for a Section 10 permit under the Endangered Species Act.”

It has been assumed that the towns of Alamo, Panaca, and Pioche, the City of Caliente, the railroad, and the State of Nevada were going to submit jointly under the County’s application, but now a separate application is being required from each signatory party. Ken Dixon, County Building Director, said the decision had been made at the “11th hour” and is “a one-page document with 14 pages of instructions.”