Vegas To Reno 2009--BLM Finds No Significant Impact...

In response to numerous environmental groups BITD's Vegas to Reno race was under increased scrutiny this year. Numerous rumors earlier in the year had the race potentially cancelled. Given the changeover at the top of the governmental food chain and a big increase in left leaning enviros in all federal departments this was not at all surprising. Earlier this year a good sized movement to get desert racing enthusiasts to send in positive comments regarding the race and the benefits it would have for Nevada was started and as part of such I sent in a letter regarding my support for the race to the BLM's Tonopah Field Office. A couple months later now, I received in the mail today a letter from said field office stating in oh so much legalese mumbo-jumbo that all public comments that were accepted during the open comment period have been addressed in an Environmental Assessment and that a draft Finding of No Significant Impact has been completed. Now, I'm not an expert on the BLM's language and procedures but I believe that this letter and its associated EA and Finding of No Significant Impact is an extremely positive sign for the race and desert racing in Nevada in general. It has once again been found that Casey Folks and BITD take all the reasonable, necessary steps to mitigate any of the potential negative impacts from the race and that Vegas to Reno races fall well within the intended use of BLM lands. I have a scan of the letter that the Tonopah field office sent me below with the sentence mentioning the Finding of No Significant Impact highlighted. I also have provided a direct link to the 81 page Environmental Assessment.One final note...the fight to keep the race and the desert open is not over however. There appears to be yet ANOTHER comment period as indicated by the final paragraph of the Tonopah letter which states now that comments regarding the EA can now be sent until 7/30. You can be sure a whole new round of letters detailing the EA's failures to address who knows what will be coming from numerous environmental groups. I would suggest desert racing fans again express their own support and send their letters in. The people wanting to stop desert

racing will not stop their efforts to end desert racing and we cannot fail to express our support for it at every opportunity...