导出博客文章RENO, Nev. -- Concerns about a controversial off-road race running through a new
national monument in Nevada turned out to be much ado about nothing -- sort
of.The Vegas-to-Reno Best in the Desert Race didnt end up crossing into the
Basin and Range National Monument on Aug. 19 as was planned and approved by the
U.S. Bureau of Land Management over the objections of conservationists.The
37-mile segment on existing dirt roads through the monument northeast of Las
Vegas was rerouted because a military helicopter crashed and sparked a wildfire
nearby the night before.Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a
suburban Washington D.C.-based government watchdog group representing past and
present federal workers, had argued unsuccessfully for months that the two-day,
640-mile race dubbed the longest of its kind in the nation would cause
ecological damage to the fragile desert lands in the monument President Obama
designated last summer stretching across more than 1,000 square miles.Kind of a
weird ending, Jeff Ruch, the groups executive director, told The Associated
Press on Thursday. Nobody is explicitly saying anything, but the race through
the monument never happened.Ruch said he didnt learn of the last-minute detour
until he received a confidential call from a BLM employee earlier this week.The
agencys failure to inform the public was further evidence of the secrecy
surrounding the inappropriate approval of the route in the first place, he
said.BLM spokesman Chris Hanefeld confirmed Thursday agency officials informed
race organizers hours before the start they had decided to reroute the course so
the Air Force could secure the crash site. He said the detour was selected from
alternatives studied as part of an environmental assessment conducted before
approving the original route a week before the start.We didnt issue a press
release. Why would we? Hanefeld said Thursday.The bottom line is the helicopter
went down for whatever reason. They needed to secure the site. We needed to make
a decision. We made a good decision, so the race went on. Everything went well,
he said.The U.S. Air Force said in a statement the day after the helicopter
crash that four crew members were treated for non-life threatening injuries
after the HH-60G Pave Hawk from Nellis Air Force Base went down during a night
training mission on the Nevada Test and Training Range near the monument.Based
in part on earlier criticism from PEER, BLM had set a 35 mph speed limit on the
original route through the monument, and prohibitted any passing of vehicles so
as to ensure the racers remained on the established dirt roads. More than 350
all-terrain vehicles, including trucks, cars, dune buggies and motorcycles
competed in timed intervals in the two-day race that ended near Dayton on Aug.
20.The fact that BLM had already reduced this race to a glorified parade only
underlined it should never have allowed racing inside the monument in the first
place, Ruch said. Plotting this race through a national moment was conceived in
secrecy, so it is only fitting that it ended in a mysterious fog.
Aaron
Judge Jersey .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off
teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Andy
Pettitte Jersey . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening
early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with
the boards behind Pittsburghs net.
http://www.yankeesrookiestore.com/Yankees-Gary-Sanchez-Kids-Jersey/
. Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit
a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their
hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday
night.
Yogi
Berra Jersey . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free
round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three
birdies with two bogeys for a 70.
Custom New York Yankees
Jerseys . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few
overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin is expected to miss three weeks
with a hamstring injury, a source confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on
Wednesday.The news was first reported by NFL Network.The two-time Pro Bowler
left Sundays game against Arizona in the second quarter and did not return. He
suffered the injury while coming out of the backfield, taking a pitch to his
right. He made a cut and planted his foot, which is when he felt the pain in his
right hamstring. He grabbed it and immediately jogged off to the sideline.I
didnt even know he was out until I noticed him on the sideline and he didnt have
his helmet on, right tackle Demar Dotson said.Martin had an MRI on
Tuesday.Charles Sims and newly signed Jacquizz Rodgers were pressed into duty
after Martins injury, and the Bucs mustered only 85 rushing yards against the
Cardinals.?Jameis Winston had a career-high 52 passing attempts and four
interceptions in the 40-7 blowout loss.ddddddddddddDoug Martin means a lot to
this team, Jameis Winston said. Come on now. Doug is one of our best players. We
love him tremendously. He had a great season. We just love having him on the
team.Martin was second in the NFL with 1,402 rushing yards in 2015, and he
averaged 4.9 yards per carry.?He averaged 18 touches in 16 games, accounting for
nearly 72 percent of the Bucs rushing yards from running backs last year.Hes a
tremendous running back, Dotson said of Martin. He helps the offensive line out
because we dont have to hold blocks for long. A guy like Chuck (Sims), hes a
good running back. Hes a guy [who] can hold the fort down.Tampa Bay plays the
Los Angeles Rams?at home on Sunday. ' ' '
Find in Directory
Find in Events
Find in Marketplace