Nevada’s stone beehives

Scattered across Nevada are a handful of 19th century charcoal ovens that resemble nothing less than giant stone beehives. These stone or brick domes were once used to convert wood, often pinon pine, into charcoal that could be used in mining smelters.

Best known of the state’s charcoal kilns are the Ward Charcoal Ovens, 12 miles south of Ely. Here, you can find six 30-foot-high domes built in 1876 to produce charcoal for the smelters at the nearby mining camp of Ward.

Read the complete story at Backyard Traveler by Rich Moreno.

Nevada Division of Forestry first responders personally impacted by Wells earthquake

Agency plays key role in response and recovery

WELLS, Nev.—Since early yesterday, Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) employees were at the epicenter of the Wells earthquake—as both responders and victims.

Al Case is the division’s fire captain in Wells. His house suffered heavy damage but he quickly secured his home by patching the worst leaks, shutting off the propane and he was one of the first on scene in downtown Wells. Case responded with the Elko County Sheriff’s Department.

Crew Supervisor Jim Hunt’s home suffered a one-inch crack down the middle, panels had fallen off the walls and one of the end walls had shifted a couple of inches. Hunt was also a first responder with the Wells Volunteer Fire Department. Other NDF employees in the area suffered cracks in their walls, broken dishes and other damage.

Final review for Lincoln County water pipeline project (BLM)

Submitted press release from the Bureau of Land Management

Reno, Nev.—The Bureau of Land Management published a notice in the Federal Register on February 8, 2008, announcing the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project for review and comment.

The BLM will accept written comments on the FEIS for 30 days following the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency Notice of Availability in the Federal Register which published concurrently with BLM’s notice on Feb. 8.