"We were given bonuses or gifts and he asked that we would consider as a result making a donation," Ms. Mamer said. "He was very specific that you don't have to do it and nothing will happen if you don't do it. He would never ask anyone to commit a felony."
~~snip~~
The Los Angeles Times reported in 2006 that after an Environmental Protection Agency regional office expressed concerns about a federal permit the project was seeking, Reid staffers and Sens. Reid and John Ensign spoke with officials at the EPA about the project. Mr. Whittemore and the EPA separately worked out an agreement that offered more environmental protections, and the EPA withdrew its objections, the newspaper said. Mr. Reid's office then spoke in support of the Coyote Springs venture. His spokesman on Sunday declined to comment further on the EPA question.
The project later received an environmental award from the EPA.
Blood in the water.
WSJ?
Someone lead to get the Bastard Reid the hell out.
ping
Has anyone ever seen proof that these crooks donate ill gotten gains to charity?
Reid also had to do some dealing with the BLM on this:
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/planning/groundwater_projects/water_rights_home/coyote_spring.html
Coyote Spring Valley Water Rights
Background
Both the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and Coyote Springs Investment, LLC (CSI) hold water rights applications in Coyote Spring Valley totaling 135,000 acre feet per year (afy). The Nevada State Engineer (NSE) held hearings on these applications in July and August 2001. In 2002 the NSE issued Order 1169. The Order held in abeyance carbonate-rock aquifer system groundwater applications pending or to be filed in Coyote Spring Valley and several adjacent basins. It also required the Las Vegas Valley Water District, SNWA, CSI, Nevada Power Company, and Moapa Valley Water District to participate in a study to pump a portion of the water rights over a specific timeframe. These entities have permitted water rights and/or pending applications in Coyote Spring Valley. The NSE typically issues Orders when insufficient information is available to make a ruling, and the Orders usually require the applicant(s) to provide additional data (such as pumping, monitoring, modeling, etc) prior to issuing a ruling. The study required by Order 1169 is on-going.
Terms of Order 1169
The agencies listed above are required to conduct a study to provide information on the effect of pumpage of those water rights which have already been issued from the carbonate-rock aquifer.
The study must cover a 5-year minimum period during which at least 50% of the water rights currently permitted in the Coyote Springs Valley groundwater basin are pumped for at least two consecutive years.
Stipulated Agreement
Prior to the hearings in 2001, the BLM, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and SNWA negotiated a Stipulated Agreement. The Agreement had the common goal to manage the development of the carbonate aquifer as a water resource without causing unreasonable adverse impacts to the federal rights and resources. Groundwater and the effects of pumping will be monitored and managed to avoid adverse impacts within the Area of Interest. The parties also identified a need to conduct studies of the aquifer’s response to pumping stresses through incremental development of reasonable quantities of groundwater.
Stipulated Agreement Monitoring Plan
The Monitoring, Management, and Mitigation Plan was appended to the Coyote Spring Valley Stipulated Agreement (Exhibit A). The main points are summarized below:
Monitoring Requirements
SNWA is required to collect discharge and water level data at their production wells in Coyote Spring Valley.
SNWA, in consultation with the parties, is required to locate and construct additional monitoring wells.
SNWA will equip and maintain surface water measurement sites in the Muddy Springs Area, Jones Spring, Baldwin Spring, Pederson Springs, Plummer (Iverson Spring), Rogers Spring, and Blue Point Spring.
SNWA is required to conduct a detailed elevation survey of SNWA wells in the Muddy Springs Area, as well as develop and implement a plan to determine elevation of all major spring orifices and monitoring and production wells in the Muddy Springs Area, and Rogers and Blue Point spring complex.
SNWA will collect and analyze water quality samples for major ions at two surface water measurement sites in the Muddy Springs Area.
Links of Interest:
NSE Order 1169
Coyote Spring Valley Stipulated Agreement
Culture of corruption— for real this time.
swing! Reid! swing!
“The Desert Tortoise in Relation to Cattle Grazing” by Vernon Bostick
The article argues that tortoise populations thrive due to grazing and suffer when there is no grazing.
https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/viewFile/10776/10049