Trespassing

RENO, Nev. – On January 18, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management issued a trespass notice to Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC for the unauthorized use of certain Tiehm’s buckwheat habitat. The areas were being used as a laydown area for geotechnical drilling operations associated with collection of subsurface data.

BLM’s November 2, 2022 approval of Ioneer’s application for the drilling operations directed that all proposed disturbance related to drilling activities was to be conducted outside of areas identified as critical habitat for Tiehm’s buckwheat, a plant listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS.)

On January 12, 2023, the BLM received notification from an outside party of a disturbance within the Tiehm’s buckwheat critical habitat. BLM conducted a site visit and compliance inspection on January 13, 2023 and BLM inspectors confirmed the unauthorized placement of a water bladder and identified remnants of a laydown yard within designated critical habitat.

Ioneer has 14 days in which to respond to the trespass notice. While most of the equipment has already been removed, BLM has directed the company to hold on further reclamation of the area until the USFWS and BLM can be present.