SNPLMA

SNPLMA Round 18 Preliminary recommendations and open public comment


BLM SNPLMA has announced that they are accepting comments on the Preliminary Recommendation for Funding for Round 18 of the SNPLMA from March 1 through April 14, 2021. White Pine County has submitted 3 nominations for round 18: The Heritage Park project, the Nevada Northern Railway Phase III project and the White Pine County Fairgrounds Upgrade Phase III. We invite the public to take a look at White Pine County’s projects and provide public comment on SNPLMA’s preliminary recommendations of these projects. These comments will help the SNPLMA Executive Committee make a final decision on whether or not to fund these projects. White Pine County encourages you to submit a comment of support for any or all of these great projects. Help make these great projects a reality.

The recommendations, project tables, executive summaries and project nominations are available on the SNPLMA website at https://www.blm.gov/snplma.

For SNPLMA Round 18, the public may submit written comments to the SNPLMA Executive Committee Chair, BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130, by fax to the attention of the SNPLMA Executive Committee Chair at (702) 515-5110, or by email to: blm_nv_snplma_comments@blm.gov

For more background and information on SNPLMA and their processes please visit: https://www.blm.gov/snplma

Highlights of these proposals projects (see full applications for more details):

Please keep in mind that these are all items requested but not yet approved

Heritage Park: (Document link available here) 

Amount requested; $24,606,829

Timeframe: 8 years

Currently a Primary Recommendation for Funding

  • Will increase outdoor recreation 
  • Will increase awareness of the County’s rich and diverse cultural heritage
  • Will connect to the High school, aquatic center, and the Ely Shoshone tribe’s proposed park adjacent to Heritage Park
  • Provides a resting place for travelers/ tourists passing through and encourages them to stay longer or visit again
  • Prime location for access off of US-50 and US-6
  • Beautifies a currently vacant and blighted lot 
  • Purchase  of approximately 23 acres near Carl’s Junior and the Aquatic Center
  • Donation of approximately 24 acres of land owned by the White Pine County School District 
  • Total park size will be approximately 50 acres when combined with land currently owned by White Pine County
  • ADA concrete sidewalks and trails
  • Grass, trees and other vegetation
  • Parking areas
  • Native vegetation garden /habitat area 
  • Pavilions/shade structures/ benches and table
  • Restrooms
  • Fire Pit
  • Basketball courts
  • Pickleball courts
  • 3 softball/ baseball fields adjacent to high school
  • Playground
  • Heritage interpretation site with interactive Kiosk
  • Trail head
  • Equestrian trail connecting to Shoshone tribe
  • Frisbee/ Disk Golf Course
  • Splash pad 
  • Iconic park entry features
  • Wall/ buffer between commercial area and park
  • Dark sky compliant LED lighting
  • Skate park/ Skate bowl
  • Pump track
  • Bike Skills Area
  • Dog park
  • Various additional items if budget allows

Nevada Northern Railway Phase III: (Document link available here) 

Amount Requested: $10,168,421

Timeframe: 5 years

Currently a Secondary Recommendation for funding

  • Will preserve a national historic landmark
  • Restores approximately 16 miles of historic railroad track from Ely to McGill including highway crossings
  • Parking lot and lighting at McGill Depot
  • Includes improvements to the McGill Depot including bathrooms
  • Includes improvements to multi-use trail systems within the railroad right-of-way between Ely and McGill
  • Developing a railroad turntable to turn the locomotives around
  • Turn table and other items promote new programs and attract tourism for the County
  • Lighted walking trail at the McGill Depot area
  • Combines the existing trail system parallel to the railroad right-of-way between Ely and McGill 
  • Provides 6 designated safety crossings of the track as part of a multi-use trail system
  • Provides potential for programs that combine a train ride to McGill and then ability to hop off and ride bikes on surrounding trail system

White Pine County Fairgrounds Upgrade Phase III: (Document link available here) 

Amount Requested: $12,955,275

Timeframe: 5 years

Currently Not Recommended for funding

  • Upgrades, replaces and refurbished infrastructure at the White Pine County Fairgrounds
  • Provides reliable, clean, safe, low maintenance ease-of-use facilities for traditional and future recreational opportunities
  • Construct an all-weather event center up to 96,000 sq. ft.
  • Event center provides for inside recreation all year long and out of the elements that various seasons bring
  • Event center will be a pay-to-use facility and will be available for reservation of any use applicable
  • Event center brings potential for the County to host large events such as concerts, state championship for sports such as BMX or Rodeo, clinics of various kinds, ect.
  • Event Center can be used for every day recreation such as private events, rodeo practice, and practice for outdoor sports during winter months (such as softball or baseball)
  • Upgrade grandstands to accommodate 750 people to all-weather material
  • Construct new or remodel old concession stand
  • Pay-to-use shower facilities for visitors to use during events such weekend long rodeos, horse races, etc.
  • Replace racetrack railing to up-to-date and safer materials
  • Install vaulted restroom within the race track area
  • Install pay-to-use lighting in both arenas
  • RV hook-ups on the inside of race track to allow for overnight stay during two or more day events such as high school rodeos
  • Upgraded power supply on the upper part of the fairground in order to accommodate things like the event center and to allow for more power usage by vendors during the fair 
  • Replace 3-5 overnight horse barns and construct overflow holding corrals to allow for safer up-to-date amenities 
  • Storage building for horse race starting gate to protect it from the elements
  • Walking trail from 4-H livestock area to fairground park and playground
  • Lighting in volleyball/ horse shoe area