Our organization, the Amargosa Conservancy, has devoted decades of effort towards conserving the Amargosa River watershed - a biodiversity haven of paramount significance within the United States. We are steadfast in our commitment to safeguard these invaluable landscapes and their communities from impending threats to their long-term water security. That's where you come in.

The Bureau of Land Management is currently seeking public input on assigning priority status to the proposed ~10,000 acre Rock Valley Energy Center project. This project is sited in close proximity to frontline communities and protected landscapes in the Amargosa Valley, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While our organization supports the need for renewable energy, we believe this projects presents too great a risk to wildlife and irreplaceable biological and cultural values in this sensitive watershed. That's why we're urging the BLM to reject this project by assigning it a low priority status during this initial review, and we need your voice to join ours.

Sign the following petition by Nov. 29th to raise your voice on this important issue!

Petition to Protect Ash Meadows, Big Dune, and Local Communities from the Rock Valley Energy Center Project

To the Bureau of Land Management (BLM):

We, the undersigned, urge the BLM to assign a low-priority status to the Rock Valley Energy Center Project due to its significant risks to sensitive species, cultural heritage, and local communities in the Amargosa River watershed.

Key Reasons:

Impacts to Sensitive Species:

• The project threatens habitats of the Mojave desert tortoise, Atomic tarantula, Paruroctonus arenicola scorpion, and the endemic species of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
• Groundwater use and habitat destruction could jeopardize rare species like the Ash Meadows pupfish and the Guiliani's dune scarab.

Environmental Justice:

• The project would harm the rural frontline communities of Amargosa Valley and Beatty through increased noise, dust, and traffic.
• It would disrupt the ancestral lands and cultural heritage of the several Tribal nations who hold this landscape as sacred.

Threats to Protected Areas:

• The project is located within the Amargosa River watershed, and poses the potential to disrupt the hydrological and ecological integrity of Ash Meadows, Death Valley, Big Dune, and the Amargosa Wild & Scenic River. 

Precedent for Protection:

• Six nearby projects have already been assigned low-priority status due to similar risks to Ash Meadows, Devils Hole, and surrounding sensitive areas.

Our Request:

We call on the BLM to:

• Reject this project application, or
• Re-assign the Rock Valley Energy Center Project a low-priority status during this initial review process.

By prioritizing the protection of this fragile landscape, the BLM can uphold its commitment to environmental stewardship and equitable management of public lands.

Respectfully,

[YOUR SIGNATURE]

 

 

 

 

 

Big Dune; Amargosa Valley, NV