Protect Our Wildlife, Our Health, and Our Desert — We Demand BLM Listen to Local Residents       
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently spraying thousands of acres of public land in Southern Nevada with aerial herbicides — chemicals that drift into our air, coat our soil, and kill far more than the “invasive grasses” they claim to target.   
Local residents were not properly notified, despite signs being posted far into hiking areas and mountain roads where almost nobody sees them. Homes are nearby. Families hike these trails. Wildlife depends on this land.   
WHAT WE ARE SEEING HAPPEN RIGHT NOW:  • Desert plants suddenly looking sick, wilted, or dying  • Low-flying planes releasing chemicals dangerously close to highways  • Warnings posted only in remote mountain spots like Carpenter Canyon and Wheeler Pass  • Dusty, hazy skies after spraying  • Entire areas of plant life turning brown or dead  • Wild horses, donkeys, and desert tortoises losing the grasses they rely on  • Chemicals drifting into communities without consent   
Residents have clearly said: This is unacceptable.   
⸻   
WHAT LOCALS ARE SAYING (directly from the community):   
💬 “No invasion — just dormant seeds replenishing the desert. Without the rain the wild horses were starving. Now the plants come back and they’re killing them again.”   
💬 “BLM keeps doing the opposite of what they’re supposed to do.”   
💬 “They’re just trying to keep all the wildlife away from that area so developers can build resorts.”   
💬 “Their poison doesn’t discriminate — it kills way more than the grass they’re targeting.”   
💬 “Spray more crap into the air to make us miserable — what is wrong with them?”   
💬 “I saw a low-flying airplane spraying heavy chemicals on the roadside. Horrifying. Why were we not notified?”   
💬 “Look at the sky — it’s disgusting.”   
These aren’t just opinions — they are eyewitness accounts from Pahrump residents who live near these lands and see the damage happening in real time.   
⸻       
WILDLIFE AT RISK   
BLM claims they are protecting native plants by killing cheatgrass. But locals know the truth:  • Wild horses and donkeys rely on these grasses to survive  • Desert tortoises graze on the exact plants now being killed  • Birds, rabbits, insects, and small mammals are all affected  • Poison does not stay in one spot — it spreads with wind and rain   
As one resident said: 💬 “Their poison doesn’t discriminate.”   
⸻   
OUR HEALTH IS AT RISK TOO   
Chemical drift blows into:  • Neighborhoods  • Yards  • Play areas  • Hiking trails  • Water drainage paths   
Families breathe this. Pets walk through it. Children play near it.   
We deserve informed consent before chemicals are released into our environment.   
⸻   
WE DEMAND IMMEDIATE ACTION   
We call on the BLM Southern Nevada District to:  1. Immediately halt all aerial herbicide spraying in Southern Nevada.  2. Disclose every chemical being used, along with health risks and environmental impact statements.  3. Hold public meetings in Pahrump and surrounding communities before any future spraying.  4. Conduct a full environmental review with input from wildlife experts, wild horse advocates, and local residents.  5. Provide public notice in newspapers, online, and at trailheads at least 30 days prior to any action.   
⸻   
WE, THE RESIDENTS, HAVE A RIGHT TO:   
✔️ Clean air ✔️ Safe land ✔️ Protected wildlife ✔️ Transparent government decisions   
BLM works for the people — and the people are loudly saying NO to aerial herbicides.       
⸻   
SIGN THIS PETITION IF YOU WANT TO:   
✨ Protect wild horses, donkeys, and tortoises ✨ Stop harmful chemicals from entering our air and soil ✨ Demand transparency and community consent ✨ Preserve our desert ecosystem ✨ Hold BLM accountable   
We need 1,000 signatures to force this onto the desks of decision-makers. Southern Nevada deserves a voice — and this petition is that voice. “BLM is using industrial pre-emergent herbicides like Rejuvra (Indaziflam) and Plateau (Imazapic). These are not organic. They remain active in our soil for months to years, kill native desert plants, and may reduce food sources for wildlife including the desert tortoise. That is why I’m raising awareness.”   
👉 Sign now. Speak for the land, the wildlife, and our future.

 

 

UPDATE: 

🚫 Petition to STOP Aerial Herbicide Spraying in Southern Nevada

Protect Our Desert Wildlife, Our Homes, and Our Community

We, the residents of Southern Nevada, are urgently calling for an immediate and permanent STOP to the BLM’s aerial herbicide “fuels reduction” spraying project—targeting over 20,000 acres of land surrounding Pahrump, Crystal, and nearby desert communities.

This project is already underway, despite serious environmental, ecological, and community-health concerns. These chemicals are being sprayed directly over areas full of active wildlife habitat, native plants, wild burros, wild horses, birds, reptiles, insects, and homes.

 

 

 

 

Why We Are Demanding a Full STOP (Not a Pause)

BLM claims this project is aimed at reducing invasive grasses. However, several of the grasses listed—cheatgrass, red brome, Mediterranean grass—are plants that desert wildlife depend on for survival, including protected species. Removing these plants without a real ecological restoration plan leaves animals with nothing to eat.

Furthermore, the herbicides being used are NOT organic.

Based on field research and available public records, the likely chemicals include:

(Rejuvra) – a potent pre-emergent that remains active in soil for up to 3 years, preventing native seeds from sprouting.

Imazapyr & Imazapic – known to move through soil and water, impacting non-target plants, including the native species wildlife rely on.

These chemicals do not discriminate. They affect good plants, beneficial plants, and the entire delicate desert environment.

A local wildlife expert—who requested to remain anonymous—has shared critical research and field documentation that reveal serious issues with this project. Their findings include:

 

 

 

Potential Violations & Environmental Concerns

Destruction of wildlife habitat without adequate environmental review

Application of non-selective herbicides in areas where wildlife actively forage
Failure to provide proper notice to nearby residents about chemical drift risk
Threats to endangered species, including the Mojave Desert Tortoise, whose habitat overlaps with the spray zones
Disruption of movement and migration patterns of wild burros, horses, birds, and other species
Contradictions between BLM’s stated goals and actual field impacts

The advocate documented multiple active burro trails, scat piles, tortoise-sign indicators, and native vegetation growing directly inside the spray path.

 

 

 

 

These findings support what many locals fear:

➡️ This project may be causing unlawful or unethical harm to wildlife and their protected habitat.

🛑 The Mojave Desert Tortoise Is Endangered — and This Land Is Their Home.

 

 

 

 

he Mojave Desert Tortoise is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act, which means:

Their habitat is federally protected

Disturbing or degrading that habitat may violate federal law
Pahrump and the surrounding valley are documented tortoise habitat zones

I have photographed dens, burrows, and possible tortoise shelters inside areas scheduled for aerial spraying.

 

This project puts a vulnerable species at serious risk.

🏡 Homes Are Within Spray Distance

 

 

 

 

Residents have already seen low-flying aircraft spraying chemicals alarmingly close to homes, yards, and places where children, pets, and livestock spend time.

Chemical drift can travel—especially in open desert winds.

People deserve to know what is being sprayed, why, and how it could affect their health. 
🫏 Wild Burros, Horses, and Local Wildlife Are in Immediate Danger

Both resident photos and advocate documentation confirm:

Fresh burro scat

Active wildlife trails
Feeding areas for quail, rabbits, roadrunners, coyotes, and reptiles
Native shrubs used for nesting
Plant diversity essential for ecosystem balance

Herbicides eliminate food sources for many species for years—threatening the survival of burros, tortoises, and the entire wildlife network of our valley.

📹 Local News Coverage

Recent news coverage has already brought attention to:

Increasing community concern

Wildlife potentially being harmed
Large-scale spraying near populated areas
Rapid petition growth
The urgency of the issue

The public is paying attention—and momentum is building.

🛑 Our Demand

We, the residents of Nye and Clark Counties and surrounding regions, call for:

➡️ A FULL STOP to all aerial herbicide spraying in Southern Nevada

Not a pause.

Not a review.

A complete, permanent halt.

This program is incompatible with:

Endangered species protections

Community health
Wildlife survival
Responsible land management
Transparent use of taxpayer funds

 

 

 

 

📍 Sign the Petition — Every Signature Matters

This petition is crucial. Each signature strengthens:

Environmental investigation

Legal review
Media visibility
Community protection
Wildlife advocacy
Pressure on BLM to change course