Agency Updates from Fallon Range Training Complex Meeting

Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) Intergovernmental Executive Committee met Dec. 9 in a hybrid session at the Fallon Convention Center, taking updates from Churchill County, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Navy on projects tied to the multi-year FRTC modernization effort.

Chris Spross, Churchill County manager, reported progress on the Lone Tree Road project, saying the county received two design engineer applications and selected Lumos Engineering. County staff said they have been working with the Navy and NDOT to incorporate agency comments into a draft scope of services, with a goal of approving the scope in mid-December and holding a kickoff meeting in early January. The county’s preliminary schedule anticipates 100% final design and a drainage report by the end of September, with staff indicating they will explore whether parts of the schedule can run concurrently.

A major portion of the meeting focused on BLM implementation updates under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including changes affecting livestock permittees. Kat McCray, a BLM range management specialist, said decisions were sent Sept. 3, 2025, reducing authorized animal unit months (AUMs) in two grazing allotments based on a recreated desktop analysis of a prior allotment study, followed by on-the-ground verification.

McCray said the Lahontan Area grazing allotment was reduced from 1,151 AUMs to 637 AUMs, and the Horse Mountain allotment was reduced from 3,000 AUMs to 2,884 AUMs. She said monitoring has begun on both allotments toward land health assessments and fully processed permits, a process BLM expects to complete in fiscal year 2029 due to the need for multiple years of data. She added that B-17 monitoring for land health assessments is expected to begin in the spring of fiscal year 2026.

BLM’s cadastral survey update, provided by state chief cadastral surveyor Mike Strickland, included progress on multiple township and range survey efforts tied to the Bravo ranges and related conveyances and exchanges. Strickland said survey work is ongoing or complete in several areas, with additional surveys anticipated as projects advance, including work connected to public purpose conveyances and land exchanges involving Churchill County and the City of Fallon.

One of the more consequential land discussions centered on what BLM described as the “checkerboard resolution area,” a planned land exchange intended to consolidate mixed ownership patterns in Churchill County along the railroad corridor to provide for economic development opportunities. BLM staff said the effort will follow a similar “prepare the lands” approach used in other exchanges because many of the parcels involved are within Bureau of Reclamation jurisdiction. Officials said a plan and timeline were discussed in a Dec. 3 meeting among BLM, BOR, and Churchill County, and that a draft memorandum of understanding is being developed between the Department of the Interior and Churchill County. The next step, they said, is a working meeting to finalize edits and secure a completed MOU.

The Navy provided an update on implementation activities, including land acquisition and infrastructure coordination across B-16, B-17, B-20, and Dixie Valley. Navy modernization program manager Matt Ryan said the private land acquisition count in Dixie Valley increased from 91 to 92 parcels since the previous IEC update. He also said B-16 fencing work is under contract and underway. At the same time, NEPA and design coordination continues on road projects including Sand Canyon Road and Lone Tree Road, with multiple agencies involved.

The meeting also included environmental updates on plans, agreements, studies, and ongoing surveys. Navy representatives said stakeholder review of draft planning documents, including a wildland fire management plan, is expected to continue into January, and that cultural resource inventory work is nearing completion in expanded areas of B-17 and B-20, with tribal survey phases anticipated to begin in spring 2026.

Public comment included questions and frustration from representatives of mining claims in the Bravo 17 area, who asked for more transparent communication and timely responses regarding reimbursement offers and the impact of annual claim maintenance deadlines. Meeting leaders and Navy representatives said they would elevate the questions to legal review and follow up directly.

A separate public comment noted confusion about access near Sand Canyon Road, with officials acknowledging that signage and fencing work can make the public uncertain about where travel is allowed. Committee members reiterated that the expanded portions of the range would not be closed until required NDAA steps are completed, and that construction activity does not necessarily indicate immediate closure.

The committee discussed scheduling the next IEC meeting for the first two weeks of March.