28 miles south of Elko
http://www.temoaktribe.com/southfork.shtml
I found some reasoning for the BLM auctioning off leases:
“Land in most Nevada counties, under existing leases of rights of way, would be rented for less than $50 per acre in 2010, but spike in mining country. Rent on BLM land in Storey County, for example, is $942 an acre this year.
Energy experts say the rents don’t reflect the high value of land for new uses, such as solar and wind development. In Clark County, where land prices are high and solar development is expected to flourish, land would be rented for $94.17 an acre this year. But in nearby Lincoln County, which has tens of thousands of acres of land conducive to solar development, the rent would be just $15.69 an acre.”
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jun/22/bill-seeks-expedite-land-leases-solar-developers/
Basically, the BLM gets the renewable energy peeps to engage in bidding wars, which raise the annual rents on an acre of land. The energy companies get out of preparing enviro impact stuff, because BLM does it for them. The BLM pockets the new, inflated rents, and, the BLM and the counties get royalties from the energy producer on top of the rents. 15% of those royalties paid to the BLM are to go to “permit processing centers” and 35% into what appears to be a general slush fund (which, I assume, is where the funds to go swat-junkie comes from).
It’s a game of government graft at the expense of private citizens.
And about time for some financial-wiz-kids amongst us, to investigate stock transactions for inside trading events.
there is also this:
Considine found that development of oil, natural gas, and coal resources on federal lands are often mired in a regulatory bog,
while huge tracks of land —
that are home to threatened and endangered species and greatly affect the viewshed —
are fast-tracked for use
for solar panels and wind turbines.
(and, to borrow another quote:)
A recent article by Nevada Policy Research Institute’s Geoffrey Lawrence also noted that the BLM has blocked energy development for a variety of rationales.
“In early 2012, the BLM was scheduled to auction 75 Nevada oil and gas leases covering 133,000 acres. At the last moment, however, the agency reduced the auction down to 42 leases covering only 72,000 acres,” Lawrence writes. “According to BLM officials, these lands included sage-grouse habitat,
and the bird could
conceivably,
one day, be considered ‘endangered.’”
(I added the carriage returns in for emphasis)
Good idea BP ! If you two can’t do it bet you’ll know who can!