PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on proposed exploratory drilling on approximately 13 acres of public lands within a 2,424-acre project area, south of Lone Pine in Inyo County. If approved, Mojave Precious Metals Inc. could search for mineral deposits, including gold, on public lands where they currently hold mining claims.

Mojave Precious Metals Inc. proposes to modify its existing, approved plan of operations to drill 120 exploratory bore holes at up to 30 locations. Proposed drilling would aim to gather data on known areas of minerals. The plan modification includes work such as access road reconstruction, drill pad and sump construction, and other related activities.

The proposed project supports DOI Secretarial Order 3418 – Unleashing American Energy, by encouraging exploration and production on federal lands to meet the needs of American citizens. The proposed area is designated as open to mineral exploration.

The Bureau of Land Management will hold an in-person public meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 5–7 p.m. at Statham Town Hall, 138 N. Jackson St., Lone Pine, CA 93545. BLM staff will be available during the meeting to discuss the alternatives and analysis and answer any questions.

A Notice of Availability will publish in tomorrow’s Federal Register to open a 45-day comment period. Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comment may be submitted through the ‘Participate Now’ option (preferred). Comments may also be submitted via email to BLM_CA_RI_MojavePMetals@blm.gov, or delivered to the BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, ATTN: Mojave Exploration Drilling Project, 300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. The public comment period closes June 16, 2025.

For more information, please contact BLM Ridgecrest Field Manager Philip DeSenze at BLM_CA_RI_MojavePMetals@blm.gov.

1. Home
2. Daily News
3. County can’t prevent chartered deportation…

Immigration Law

County can’t prevent chartered deportation flights at airport, 9th Circuit rules

By Debra Cassens Weiss

December 4, 2024, 9:02 am CST

King County in Washington can’t prevent the federal government from using a Seattle-area airport for chartered deportation flights, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco ruled last week.

The appeals court ruled for the U.S. government in a Nov. 29 decision, report Law360 and the Associated Press.

At issue was a 2019 executive order banning the servicing of deportation flights chartered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the King County International Airport in Washington. The order by King County executive Dow Constantine applied to fixed-base operators signing future leases at the airport, which is also known as Boeing Field.

Fixed-based operators lease space from Boeing Field and provide services to charter flights that include fueling, landing stairs, lavatory maintenance and aircraft parking, the 9th Circuit explained.

The appeals court said the order was invalid for two reasons.

First, the order violated the supremacy clause’s intergovernmental immunity doctrine that prohibits states from interfering with or controlling the operations of the federal government.

“The executive order effectively grants King County the ‘power to control’ ICE’s transportation and deportation operations, forcing ICE either to stop using Boeing Field or to use government-owned planes there,” the appeals court said.

Second, the order violated a contract agreement signed when the federal government transferred ownership of the airport back to King County at the end of World War II. The agreement gave the United States the right to nonexclusive use of the landing area without charge.

Judge Daniel A. Bress, a 2019 appointee of then-President Donald Trump, wrote the opinion.

King County revised its executive order after a federal judge ruled for the federal government last year, according to the AP. It bans King County from using its resources to aid deportation flights beyond what federal law requires.

EL CENTRO, CA – Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Rangers will conduct driving under the influence (DUI) and registration checkpoints from noon to 2 a.m., Dec. 27 to Dec. 31, 2024, on BLM-managed public lands in Imperial County, within the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.

Officers will be on the lookout for signs of alcohol and drug impairment, while verifying proper registration and licensing where required. DUI checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics, the frequency of DUI arrests and overall safety considerations. These measures aim to deter impaired driving both on and off-road to keep visitors safe on public lands.

“The BLM encourages everyone to enjoy a fun and safe New Years holiday,” said El Centro Field Manager Matthew Lohr. “Please remember that DUI laws apply both on and off the road. Always designate a sober driver and never drink and ride.”

The BLM reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Law Enforcement Rangers are reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1.’ For more information, visit www.blm.gov and the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area’s Facebook page.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –  The Bureau of Land Management today approved the Easley Solar project proposed on approximately 2,700 acres of BLM-managed public lands and 990 acres of private lands in Riverside County. The project is expected to generate up to 390 megawatts of photovoltaic solar energy and 650 megawatts of battery storage capacity, delivering reliable clean energy to the statewide transmission grid. The project will add nearly $305 million in infrastructure investment to the community and create 530 construction jobs followed by 10 operational positions once construction is complete.

BLM’s approval authorizes Easley Solar, LLC a right-of-way to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a photovoltaic solar facility, battery storage, and a 7.5-mile 500-kilovolt generation-tie (gen-tie) line. Power generated by the project would be transmitted to the Southern California Edison Red Bluff Substation.

“Approving Easley Solar represents another significant step demonstrating BLM’s commitment to renewable energy development,” said California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch

The Easley Solar Project will be constructed on lands designated as a Development Focus Area in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, a landscape-level plan that streamlines renewable energy development while conserving unique and valuable desert ecosystems and providing outdoor recreation opportunities.

The Biden-Harris administration has approved 42 renewable energy projects on public lands (10 solar, 14 geothermal, and 18 gen-ties) and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. The BLM has permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of more than 32 gigawatts of power – enough to power more than 15 million homes. This year BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.

The Decision Record, Finding of No New Significant Impacts, Environmental Assessment, and associated documents are available on the BLM National NEPA Register.

EL CENTRO, CA – Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Rangers will conduct driving under the influence (DUI) and registration checkpoints from noon to 2 a.m., Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, on BLM-managed public lands in Imperial County, within the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.

Officers will be on the lookout for signs of alcohol and drug impairment, while verifying proper registration and licensing where required. DUI checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics, the frequency of DUI arrests and overall safety considerations. These measures aim to deter impaired driving both on and off-road to keep visitors safe on public lands.

“The BLM encourages everyone to enjoy a fun and safe Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” said El Centro Field Manager Matthew Lohr. “Please remember that DUI laws apply both on and off the road. Always designate a sober driver and never drink and ride.”

The BLM reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Law Enforcement Rangers are reminding the public to ‘Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1.’ For more information, visit www.blm.gov and the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area’s Facebook page.

1. Home
2. Daily News
3. Top Georgia court blocks extended deadline…

Election Law

Top Georgia court blocks extended deadline for county voters who received late-mailed ballots

By Debra Cassens Weiss

November 5, 2024, 12:25 pm CST

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday blocked Cobb County, Georgia, election officials from counting a block of absentee ballots if they are received after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The state supreme court granted a Republican emergency request, report Reuters, the Hill, Fox 5 Atlanta, United Press International and WSB-TV.

The Georgia Supreme Court affected Cobb County voters who requested ballots on time but did not receive them until shortly before Election Day. The state supreme court said any of those ballots received after 7 p.m. on Election Day should be kept separate but not counted.

More than 3,000 voters were affected, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Cobb County is a racially diverse suburban area north of Atlanta, according to Reuters.

Tori Silas, chair of the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, issued a statement noting that the Georgia Supreme Court order addressed only a motion for a stay, according to WSB-TV.

“We will anticipate the supreme court’s final ruling to see whether it ultimately allows these voters additional time to return their ballots or whether we must only count those received by the close of polls on Tuesday,” Silas said.

As a result of the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling, voters in suburban Cobb County should vote in person on Election Day or deliver their absentee ballots by 7 p.m. that day, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a Nov. 4 press release.

A lower court judge, Senior Judge Robert E. Flournoy III of Georgia, had extended the absentee deadline on Nov. 1 in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Georgia and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Georgia law requires ballots to be sent within three days of an application, according to the ACLU.

Flournoy had ordered the absentee ballots of affected Cobb County voters to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 8.