BLM sets meeting, extends comment deadline on Ash Springs
The Bureau of Land Management has scheduled a public meeting in Las Vegas and extended the deadline for comments as the agency studies how — or if — to reopen a popular swimming hole in Lincoln County.
The BLM closed the Ash Springs Recreation Site in July 2013 amid concerns about public safety and environmental damage at the spring-fed pool along U.S. Highway 93 100 miles north of Las Vegas.
The agency is now seeking input as it develops a management plan to address visitor conduct, public safety, endangered and sensitive species protection, water quality and other issues.
A public meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 10 at Shadow Ridge High School, 5050 Brent Lane, in Las Vegas.
A similar meeting was held early last month in the Lincoln County town of Alamo, but one slated for Feb. 3 in Las Vegas was canceled so the BLM could find a larger venue.
Bureau officials also have extended the public comment period for the management plan until March 21. The comment period was originally set to close Tuesday.
A group of area residents calling itself the Friends of Pahranagat Valley have floated their own detailed plan to develop and reopen Ash Springs.
The BLM planning process is expected to last into next year.
Those interested in submitting comments or being added to the bureau’s mailing list for the planning effort can call 775-726-8100, send an email to blm_nv_ash_springs@blm.gov or write a letter to the BLM Caliente Field Office, Ash Springs, P.O. Box 237, Caliente, NV 89008.
Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Find him on Twitter: @RefriedBrean
