The Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly Working Group, coordinated by the Lahontan Valley Environmental Alliance, continues the development of a conservation plan that is hoped will conserve the Sand Mountain Blue butterfly and keep it from becoming listed as an endangered species. 

             

This effort is extremely important now that The Center for Biological Diversity, along with the Xerces Society, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Nevada Outdoor Recreation Association, has announced their intent to file suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for failure to follow the Endangered Species Act. 

In the mean time, the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly Working Group is nearing completion of the Sand

Mountain Blue butterfly conservation plan in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management, Friends of Sand Mountain, California Off Road Vehicle Association, Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Churchill County, City of Fallon, the Navy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the interested public. 

A cultural study of the proposed designated routes is underway by the Bureau of Land Management assisted by Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe and research objectives are in the process of being developed. The working group will review the final draft conservation plan narrative at the upcoming meeting. 

Since funding the upkeep of the Sand Mountain Recreation Area is a problem, the Bureau of Land Management has increased user fees for those visiting Sand Mountain.  The new fee schedule began October 1, 2005 with weekly passes increasing from $20.00 to $40.00 and annual passes increasing from $45.00 to $90.00. There will be no fees for those visiting Sand Mountain on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. 

A grant proposal for the Sand Mountain trails system has been submitted to the Question 1 Resource Conservation Grant Program for funding to purchase fencing and signage of trails as well as funding for trail improvement.