IEC Reviews Navy/BLM Progress on FRTC Modernization

The Intergovernmental Executive Committee (IEC) for the Fallon Range Training Complex met Sept. 10 to review federal and state progress on implementing the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expansion around Naval Air Station Fallon. The hybrid meeting was hosted at the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with Zoom access for remote attendees.

Attending for Churchill, Lyon, and Pershing counties were Churchill County commissioner Myles Getto who serves as Vice-Chair of the IEC, Lyon County commissioner Scott Keller, and Pershing County Commissioner Connie Gottschalk. The NDAA directed the Department of the Navy and the Department of the Interior to establish the IEC to “exchange views, information, and advice relating to the management of the natural and cultural resources” on the lands withdraws for the FRTC. The Navy coordinates with the DOI, State of Nevada, six counties, and 17 Indian Tribes. 

The agenda ran through updates from the U.S. Navy and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on grazing decisions, cadastral (survey) work, real estate actions such as road realignments, natural resources plans, cultural resource surveys, and ongoing tribal engagement—key pieces in a multi-year program scheduled to run into FY31.

The Navy reported “Year 3” milestones: private-land acquisitions continue in B-17/Dixie Valley; two offers have been made on B-16 grazing payments and permit modifications; mining-claim payment initiation is underway for B-16, B-17 and B-20; and environmental work tied to new fencing and range improvements at B-16 is nearly complete. A final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for B-16 range infrastructure is expected in October.

An integrated schedule shows related tasks—private land deals, grazing compensation, cultural surveys, and road/pipeline work—staggered across B-16, B-17, B-20 and Dixie Valley, with construction windows dependent on NDAA and military construction funding and coordination with BLM, NDOT, BOR and others.

BLM said proposed grazing decisions went out July 31 for two allotments affected by B-16: Lahontan would drop from 1,151 AUMs to 637 AUMs, and Horse Mountain from 3,000 AUMs to 2,884 AUMs. Full land-health assessments and fully processed permits are planned for FY29.

Cadastral work remains on schedule for B-16: surveys in Sectors 1–5 and 7–8 are complete and filed; Simpson Road (Sector 9) will file before Sept. 30; and the Sand Canyon (Sector 10) administrative survey awaits a finalized right-of-way. Federal-authority surveys and field investigations are underway for B-17 and B-20, including a B-20 township survey in progress.

Two high-interest road projects moved forward:

• State Route 361 realignment (B-17): Under an MOU with FHWA and NDOT, alternatives to route SR-361 around the expanded withdrawal area have been developed; CA Group/NDOT baseline studies will feed a preliminary EA.
• Sand Canyon Road (B-16): BLM leads NEPA with BOR as co-lead to realign a segment and close a portion to general traffic. The EA will consider road width, surfacing, stream crossings, and alignments so NEPA can proceed prior to final design.

BLM also outlined Section 2907 land exchanges and public-purpose conveyances in Churchill County (fire station, wastewater expansion, gravel pits/rock quarries, recreation) and the broader “checkerboard resolution” effort to consolidate mixed ownership patterns.

The Navy’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) draft has completed stakeholder review (BLM, USFWS, BOR, NDOW, DCNR, and tribal partners). The Navy will meet with agencies and tribes to address comments, then begin the INRMP’s EA this fall, which includes a public review period.

A Wildland Fire Management Plan draft is expected out for stakeholder review in October. Partnering with the USGS Fire Science Team, the Navy is modeling fire risk and proposing fuel breaks on the expanded ranges; the fire working group reconvenes Sept. 25. Implementation on historic ranges continues, with aerial herbicide trials on B-17 and planned pre-emergent treatments this fall.

A multi-year sage-grouse noise study with USGS and NDOW has finished Year-2 field work. Fall trapping is underway to equip birds with GPS/radio tags for Year-3. Full funding is expected in FY26 via the Navy and DOD’s SERDP program.

Cultural-resource inventory is extensive. At B-20, about 87,147 acres have been inventoried, documenting 572 cultural properties—primarily pre-contact sites—most along the range edges; another 13,000 acres will be inventoried by a second contractor. At B-17, roughly 200,000 acres have been inventoried with Native American monitors embedded; remaining inventories will be completed by tribal crews. Consultation on B-16 fencing effects is complete.

Tribal engagement includes a final draft Programmatic Agreement circulated for signatures, a draft cultural survey work plan for B-17/B-20 that elevates tribal-led data collection, and planned meetings on INRMP comments. The B-16 infrastructure EA remains on track for an October FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact).

During public comment, two mineral stakeholders raised concerns about compensation for mining claims within the expansion footprint, citing fair-market considerations and reimbursement for fees and past work. They asked the Navy to correct records, meet with claimants, and resolve missing payments before statutory deadlines. (Comments summarized from the IEC transcript.)

For Churchill, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing and Eureka counties and neighboring tribal nations, the modernization process affects local communities through ranching schedules and AUMs, where roads run (SR-361, Sand Canyon, Lone Tree), how public access changes with new fencing, how wildfire risk is reduced, and how cultural places are identified and protected. The IEC is the public forum to track those moving parts, weigh trade-offs, and keep local governments, landowners, and tribes at the table.

The IEC will poll members for an early-December meeting date, with details posted to the IEC page on the FRTC Modernization website along with slide decks and minutes.

·  IEC → Intergovernmental Executive Committee 

·  FRTC → Fallon Range Training Complex

·  NDAA → National Defense Authorization Act

·  NAS Fallon → Naval Air Station Fallon

·  BLM → Bureau of Land Management

·  NDOT → Nevada Department of Transportation

·  BOR → U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

·  FHWA → Federal Highway Administration

·  EA → Environmental Assessment

·  FONSI → Finding of No Significant Impact (explain the first time)

·  INRMP → Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan

·  USFWS → U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

·  DCNR → Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

·  NDOW → Nevada Department of Wildlife

·  USGS → U.S. Geological Survey

·  SERDP → Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (DOD)

·  AUM → Animal Unit Month (grazing measure)