Coyote Springs, Nevada, is a master-planned community being developed in Lincoln County and Clark County, Nevada, by developer and attorney-lobbyist Harvey Whittemore and Pardee Homes.
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A golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus has been constructed, but additional work is on hold due to the economic recession in the United States.[1] The planned development has attracted some controversy because of environmental concerns and allegations of political favoritism.[2]
BrightSource Energy has plans to build a 960 MW (1,290,000 hp) solar thermal power plant within the development.[3]
The community is planned to cover 43,000 acres (17,000 ha) or 65 square miles (170 km2). While mostly in Lincoln County, initial development is planned for the Clark County portion of the land. Coyote Springs is located between U.S. Route 93 on the west and the Meadow Valley Mountains to the east, a drive of less than an hour from the city of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip. The Coyote Springs valley is bisected by several major washes including the Pahrangat Wash and the Kane Springs Wash. The only access to the community is via U.S. Route 93 and Route 168.
Plans for Coyote Springs were first announced in 1998. Construction on the first golf course, designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, began in 2005; the course opened in 2008.[4] Construction on the community itself was planned for around the same time, with the official ground breaking held on July 5, 2006. However, regulatory issues involving water rights and other issues delayed construction. As of 2010, all governmental and environmental approvals have been granted to begin work in Coyote Springs, but the US recession is said to have placed construction plans on hold.[1]
Coyote Springs has proven controversial because of environmental issues and allegations of perceived favours granted developer Harvey Whittemore by politicians including Senator Harry Reid.[4][5][6][7]
In February 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group, announced plans to sue the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for violations of the Endangered Species Act. The Center contends the Coyote Springs development and resultant loss of water resources and habitat would harm the desert tortoise and potentially hasten the extinction of the Moapa dace, both endangered species. The Fish and Wildlife Service and Nevada's water authority responded that they, too, are interested in protecting the Moapa dace, a small fish living in the Muddy River north of Las Vegas.[4]
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