Reno developers want to swap Black Rock land for Clark County property

Saturday, Aug. 5, 2000 | 7:47 a.m.

Sam and Todd Jaksick are offering the Bureau of Land Management 50,000 acres of land scattered between Gerlach and Vya. Most of the property is surrounded by public land and has been off limits to hikers, hunters, anglers, bird watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

The offerings include 1,000 acres around Fly Geyser, a once-popular hot spring and wetlands north of the Black Rock Desert.

"People haven't been able to use it in the last few years because there's been no public access to it," said Rose Strickland of the Sierra Club. "That land would definitely be a very valuable acquisition for the BLM."

The proposed deal also includes 9,600 acres at Duck Lake, which attracts thousands of ducks after wet winters and 2,600 acres in Wall Canyon along Wall Canyon Creek, a popular fishing spot and home to a sensitive fish species called the Wall Canyon sucker.

Fifteen-thousand acres around Boulder Lake and Boulder Reservoir support large deer, antelope and sage grouse populations.

"It has tremendous value for photography and wild flower viewing," said Susan Stokke, area manager for the BLM's Surprise Resource Area in Cedarville, Calif.

"We have big horn sheep in the area. We could use this land to expand the big horn sheep populations."

But the proposal is long way from being a done deal.

In exchange, the Jaksicks are eyeing 3,000 acres of BLM land in Clark County along Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and the California line. But that property is not yet eligible for trade or sale.

The BLM is waiting for Clark County to develop a land use plan for the area before it disposes of the land.

"Our position is, we're not looking at disposal until the county completes their planning," said BLM spokeswoman Jo Simpson. "What people might want to bring to the table for exchanges is not relevant at this point."