A coalition of conservation groups has petitioned the Bureau of Land Management to protect a large southern Nevada valley west of Las Vegas, citing the threat of large-scale solar development.
At issue is the South Pahrump Valley and proposals to build at least five utility-scale solar projects covering thousands of acres of BLM lands that are home to rare plants and wildlife, including the federally threatened Mojave Desert tortoise.
The six groups — including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Western Watersheds Project, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and Nevada-based Basin and Range Watch — want the 145,000-acre area designated as an “area of critical environmental concern,” or ACEC, and managed for the preservation of natural and paleontological resources in the region. The area at issue also includes a portion of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail.
“Pahrump Valley is one of the most intact and important remaining habitats for the desert tortoise across the northern extent of its range,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the CBD, in a statement.
