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Sand Mountain Blue
Butterfly
Sand Mountain is not only home to many off-highway vehicle (OHV)
enthusiasts on weekends, but is also the permanent home of the Sand
Mountain Blue Butterfly. The
Kearney Buckwheat plant, which is found on Sand Mountain, is the habitat
that the butterfly uses for the duration of its lifecycle. The Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly is a small butterfly with a
wingspan of less than one inch, with the males being pale blue and
females a grayish brown color.
There is controversy over the Sand Mountain blue butterfly
regarding whether it is endangered or not.
Recently a petition has been filed with the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service to list the butterfly as a Threatened or Endangered
Species. In response to the
concern over the butterfly, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
designated ‘voluntary’ trails for off-roaders to follow.
Groups such as the Friends of Sand Mountain are trying to work
closely with OHV enthusiasts and the BLM to prevent any further
closures.
The butterfly’s host plant, Kearney Buckwheat, has been a
recent subject of study for the BLM.
Their finding is that the buckwheat population at Sand Mountain
is declining as a result of OHV traffic.
There are reported sightings of the blue butterfly in areas
surrounding Sand Mountain.
However, the BLM has said that based upon the color and size of these
butterflies as well as the absence of Kearney Buckwheat, they are not
the same species.
The BLM is also reviewing a proposal from the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone
Tribe suggesting that because Sand Mountain is a sacred area with great
cultural significance to the tribe the area be closed for two months
during the spring each year, one month for spiritual practices and one
for habitat regeneration.
The BLM estimates that more than 40,000 people visit Sand Mountain each
year and of those, 5000 to 7000 are visitors during the Memorial Day
weekend. Concerns for the
local economy have been expressed since restriction of access to Sand
Mountain may adversely affect tourism, and thus the economy of Churchill
County.
In an attempt to address these issues, Lahontan Valley
Environmental Alliance (LVEA) is coordinating the Sand Mountain Blue
Butterfly Working Group. The
Working Group will be comprised of representatives from diverse
organizations, and agencies, as well as members of the general public.
The group will strive to find resolutions to the Sand Mountain
blue butterfly issue. The
public is invited to participate in the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly
Working Group. For more
information, call: (775) 423-0525 or e-mail: [email protected].
Sand Mountain blue butterfly
(Euphilotes
pallescens arenamontana)
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Wilderness
Study Areas
In 1964, Congress passed the
Wilderness Act. The BLM
became involved with the wilderness review process when the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) was passed in 1976.
Since that time, the BLM has been evaluating undeveloped public
lands for Wilderness Areas.
Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) are lands that have defined as having
wilderness characteristics and are being studied for possible wilderness
designation. Each WSA must
possess the following characteristics:
Size: Roadless
areas of at least 5,000 acres or of a manageable size, and roadless
islands
Naturalness: Generally
appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature
Opportunities: Provides
outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined types
of recreation.
Once a WSA is established, the BLM will manage
the area to preserve its wilderness suitability. Examples of the activities allowed in WSA’s are: hunting,
fishing, rockhounding, motorized vehicle activities, horseback riding,
hiking and mining (without use of mechanized equipment). Existing livestock grazing may continue as long as it is
conducted in a manner that avoids unnecessary impacts to wilderness
resources.
The guidelines for Wilderness Area
usage are more restrictive than that of the WSA.
In order to preserve the character of each area, the BLM will
manage the area according to procedures set up in the Wilderness Act. For instance, the use of motor vehicles, mechanical transport
and motorized equipment is prohibited except by use of special permit or
along boundary roads. Activities
such as hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and hunting are permitted
under state and federal laws.
After lengthy review, the final
decision to designate a WSA as a Wilderness Area is made by Congress.
Public participation is encouraged during this process and is a
cornerstone to the wilderness program.
In Churchill County, there are three WSA’s that have been
considered for wilderness designation.
The Clan Alpine and Desatoya areas are both being recommended for
Wilderness Area designation, while the Stillwater Range is being
recommended as “no wilderness”.
Lahontan Valley Environmental Alliance is coordinating a Wilderness
Study Area Working Group to evaluate the impact of designating
Wilderness Areas in Churchill County.
The Working Group hopes to develop legislation that will
eliminate the WSA’s, changing the areas in question to either
wilderness or non-wilderness areas.
The public is invited to participate in this effort.
For more information call: (775) 423-0525 or e-mail: [email protected]
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