Sage grouse deal will protect 900 square miles in Nevada
A deal struck between Barrick Gold Corp., the world's largest gold mining company, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will protect 900 square miles of privately owned land in Nevada that Barrick will use as a "conservation land bank," which will give the mining company more flexibility and certainty as it maps out its expansion plans. Similar, but much smaller deals, are in the works with ranchers in Oregon and Wyoming.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); March 27
BLM puts 250,000-acre sagebrush project in Idaho on hold
Scoping meetings won't be held as scheduled on March 30 and March 31 on the Bureau of Land Management's proposed treatment of 250,000 acres of land in Idaho's Pahsimeroi and Big Lost River valleys, as well as in the Lemhi and East Fork Salmon areas by removing sagebrush from some areas and Douglas fir from others, as BLM officials said the controversial project will be put on hold until the Greater Sage-grouse Resource Management Plan final environmental impact statement is issued this summer.
Idaho Mountain Express (Sun Valley); March 27
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