User profile: RobM

"To the Point" and "Launce" are right on.
What the article only alludes to is a drastic shift away from conservation made by the County and the other permittees in 2006. Having been directly involved I can state that a conscious decision was made to drop conservation and recovery of species and to implement a strategy of only addressing the letter of permit compliance - not the original intent and vision of the permit and plan. The Advisory Committee (IMC) was shelved and the administration of the program was restructured to the detriment of species.
This wrong-headed approach continues today and is furter threatening species by a proposed amendment that would destroy an additional 215,000 acres of habitat in a gift to developers.
The Center for Biological Diversity is closely following this process and will oppose it at every step.
In the mean time, it i far beyond time for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to call the County to task for being in violation of their plan and permit and to institute appropriate penalties.

The truth of the matter is that Las Vegas still uses much more water per capita than most other SW communites. The cheapest water to be had is from not using water in the first place - conservation, and we still have a very long way to go before we have captured all the opportunities. We might start by asking Mulroy why SNWA cut back on its water waste program, leading to wasted water once again running in the streets.
The central NV groundwater mining pipeline is a boondoggle to the tune of $3billion+ and rising. It would fuel unsustainable development and set the Valley up for an even larger crisis in the not-too-distant future, while bankrupting the user-public now in the process.
It would dry out east central NV, destroying habitat for plants and animals, ruining hunting and fishing opportunities, driving hard working ranchers off their spreads, sending dust storms over Great Basin National Park and parts of Utah, and result in the economic and social ruin of places such as Ely, Pioche and Caliente.
Now is the time for the SNWA Board to say no to the tyrannical dreams and plans of Pat Mulroy and to live up to their responsibilities to the Las Vegas Valley community.

I have to take exception to comments made by the Sunlizard. The Nevada Conservation League is an outstanding conservation organization which does great work for Nevada, particularly in the local and state political arenas. To insinuate that they can be bought by Duke Energy or anyone is slanderous and a gross disservice to an excellent group. The planet faces an extreme crises if atmospheric CO2 is not brought down to below a level of 350 ppm - and soon. To do this we must cut our ties to oil and coal and develop renewable energy. Unfortuantely this will mean sacrificing some of our desert and other lands. Such is necessary for the long term survival of our species. Careful site selection is needed to minimize the ecological harm, but renewable energy must be quickly developed. Part of the long term answer is mandating roof-top solar whereever possible. But since this will take time and changes in cultural and legal attitudes, large scale renewable projects are needed now.

According to SNWA the cheapest source of water is through conservation, so why are they cutting back on their water waste policing while racing to financial ruin with a multi-billion dollar ground water pipeline??
I personally have noticed this change in operations - now when I call the waste hotline I get a recording and have to leave the info to be followed up some later time, probably
long after the waste has stopped. Early on in the program you'd call and they'd have someone on it immediately, even on weekends.
The Clark County dust prevention program has immediately available enforcement officers, why not SNWA?

Commissioner Chris G and PLAN are right on - the water grab pipeline must be seriously questioned i view of not only the leveling economy, but also in terms of the question, "what is a reasonable sustainable population level for Clark County, considering the considerable subsidies (like a multi-Billion dollar pipeline) that must be put in place to sustain life in a desert".