TONOPAH -- The interim manager of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Pahrump field office, Gayle Marrs-Smith, received approval from Nye County commissioners Tuesday for the transfer of reserved federal mineral lands and public lands at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from the BLM to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The proposal will withdraw 5,570 acres of federal mineral lands and 9,460 acres of public lands from settlement, sale, location and entry under general land laws, including mining laws, for 20 years to protect the habitat for 12 federally listed threatened and endangered species. It won't affect existing, valid mining claims.

Commissioners Lorinda Wichman and Butch Borasky voted against the plan. Wichman said she'd rather work with the BLM than the Fish and Wildlife Service. Borasky concurred.

Commissioner Gary Hollis took the opportunity to complain the BLM hasn't been participating in quarterly tri-party agreement talks in southern Nye County. Marrs-Smith said the BLM would be happy to participate.

Borasky wanted to know when there would be a Pahrump field office actually located in Pahrump. Mark Chandler, BLM resource specialist, said his agency is working on trying to obtain funding and office space through the General Services Administration, a two-year process.

Water model

Commissioners agreed to contribute $125,000 to the U.S. Geological Survey Nevada Water Science Center as a 50 percent match, to complete phase II of a Southern Amargosa model simulating pumping impacts to groundwater resources in the Amargosa Valley, including Ash Meadows and Devil's Hole.

Both parties will also contribute $368,407 for a study to evaluate groundwater discharge rates relating to the water table in the Amargosa Desert.

The county contributions are funded by a groundwater evaluation grant. Nye County Nuclear Projects Office Director Darrell Lacy said a little over $1 million is left.

Lacy said the BLM and Fish and Wildlife Service are cooperating in the programs. Hollis cautioned Lacy about his suspicions of federal agencies.

"You know my views on this. I personally have been burnt by federal agencies before. They tell you one thing and do another," Hollis said.

In a related matter, commissioners revised the indemnification clause of an agreement allowing Nye County to drill test wells on six privately-owned properties in Pahrump, Amargosa Valley and Oasis Valley for groundwater studies. Several landowners refused to sign the original agreement approved May 17.

Members reappointed

Nye County Water Board members James Eason, Robert Cameron, Donna Lamm and Tim McCall were reappointed to two-year terms. Eason represents Tonopah, Lamm and McCall represent Pahrump, Cameron is an at-large member who lives in Amargosa Valley.

TIGER grant

Nye County decided not to submit an application for a $100 million TIGER grant last summer for flood control on Wheeler Wash, a truck route around Pahrump and a business park. But they will apply again for a $5 million TIGER II grant.

TIGER stands for the federal Investments Generating Economic Recovery program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the economic stimulus package.

The federal government has $600 million allocated for the TIGER II program, of which at least $140 million is targeted for rural areas.

Nye County wants to use the money to plan a multi-purpose corridor that could attract natural gas lines, electrical lines for solar power projects and a road as an alternate route into Pahrump from Interstate 15, abutting Pahrump and ending up at Highway 95 in Lathrop Wells.

The county decided not to apply for the Tiger I grant since the county didn't have time to complete National Environmental Policy Act studies and submit engineering drawings.

Nye County meets one of the requirements, being in an economically distressed area. In fact a list of the 20 most economically stressed counties released by the Associated Press this week lists Nye County in fifth place. It uses foreclosures, bankruptcies and the unemployment rate.

Bond cap

Commissioners approved the transfer of the $2.6 million Nye County private activity bond cap to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority. The NRHA aims to provide single-family, residential housing in decent, safe and sanitary dwellings at affordable prices for low to moderate income residents.

Commissioner Joni Eastley said there hasn't been much activity for the program in Nye County. Assistant County Manager Pam Webster said the attendance was very dismal at an NRHA meeting at the Pahrump Community Library.

"I think in some of our rural communities there's certainly opportunities for us to do some more aggressive outreach. This is a really valuable program. With the number of home repossessions in Nye County practically matching what there are in Clark County there are some tremendous opportunities," Eastley said.

Gary Longaker, NRHA executive director, said he traveled the state in 2006 to introduce the first-ever tax exempt bond program for first time home buyers. The first $10 million program helped 50 families, he said.

Four bond programs since then and a mortgage credit certificate program helped over 600 families, Longaker wrote.

"I am disappointed we only had a few loans in Nye County but your allocation has been retained for use in the rural counties and we continue to make a concerted, marketing effort," Longaker said.

Longaker said there are 288 residents receiving rental assistance in Nye County, with 482 on a waiting list.