BLM opens public comment on Nevada limestone quarry plan amendment

The Bureau of Land Management has opened a 30-day public scoping period on a proposed amendment to the Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan that would clear the way for the Western Quarry Limestone Project in Humboldt County, Nevada. The notice of intent, signed by Justin Abernathy, Nevada State Director (Acting), was published in the Federal Register on Monday, September 28, 2026, and sets an October 28, 2026 deadline for public comments. The document carries the official reference FR Doc. 2026-19769.

The action responds to a Mining and Reclamation Plan submitted by Lithium Nevada LLC, a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corporation, to the Humboldt River Field Office of the Winnemucca District. The BLM states that the amendment is needed to evaluate the proposed action and the Visual Resource Management classifications inside the project area, which would require modifying the existing 2015 Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan. The agency acts under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, with authority cited at 43 CFR 1610.2(c).

A 43-year open pit operation on 874 acres

The proposed action is to construct, operate, reclaim and close a new limestone quarry using conventional open pit mining methods. Key figures in the notice:

• Planning area: approximately 874 acres of BLM-administered public land in Humboldt County.
• Surface disturbance: approximately 474 acres.
• Project life: approximately 43 years — six months of construction, 40 years of operation and two years of reclamation.
• Employment: 78 part-time and 16 full-time workers.
• Existing disturbance from the previously authorized Western Quarry Limestone Notice would be overlapped and incorporated into the proposed action.

Visual resources and the alternatives

The project boundary currently overlaps 872.3 acres of VRM Class II and 0.9 acres of VRM Class III adjacent to State Route 140. Under the proposed action, the BLM would reclassify 872.5 acres from Class II to Class III, leaving the project area managed entirely as Class III, a change that requires amending the 2015 plan.

Under the no-action alternative, the BLM would not approve the project and would not amend the visual management direction; exploration could continue under an existing notice allowing up to 3.89 acres of disturbance. The BLM has identified three preliminary issues for analysis and welcomes suggestions for additional alternatives. The scoping process does not cover the evaluation or designation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and the agency is not considering such nominations here.

How to submit comments

Comments on the scope of the analysis, potential alternatives and relevant studies must be received by October 28, 2026. The BLM will hold one public scoping meeting, with the date and time to be announced at least 15 days in advance on the National NEPA register project page. Submissions may be made through:

• Website: the BLM ePlanning project page.
• Email: BLM_NV_WDO_WesternQuarry_EA@blm.gov.
• Mail: BLM Humboldt River Field Office, Attn: Western Quarry Limestone EA, 5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, NV 89445.

The point of contact is Kathy Torrence, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, at (775) 623-1576. The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-government basis under Executive Order 13175 and will coordinate compliance with the Endangered Species Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The decision will shape how roughly 874 acres of federal land in northern Nevada are used for more than four decades, and it will determine whether a limestone operation tied to the region’s lithium supply chain moves forward. Local governments, tribes and residents have until October 28 to influence the range of alternatives the BLM studies.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 186, September 28, 2026, Notices, pp. 61246-61247 (official reference: FR Doc. 2026-19769).