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Neil Kornze, a BLM Gift to the Mining Industry?

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by Debbie Coffey                  Copyright 2013               All Rights Reserved.

NeilKornze   Dept. of Interior photo

It seems that the mining industries’ man in their pocket, Sen. Harry Reid, couldn’t be happier with President Obama’s nomination of his former senior advisor, Neil Kornze, to be the new Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Neil Kornze’s father, Larry D. Kornze, was the General Manager of Exploration and U.S. Exploration Manager for Barrick Gold Corporation  from 1987 to 2001.

Larry Kornze “directed minesite exploration activities for the Goldstrike Mine, with discoveries at the Betze, Meikle, Deepstar, Screamer, and Rodeo deposits.  He managed the Betze/Deep Post reserve development drilling and reserve estimation, along with mine dewatering, ore control guidance, ore body metallurgical studies” and “was Chief Geologist — Operations and New Projects at Barrick Mercur Gold Mines, Inc. from 1985 — 1986.”

“Prior to working for Barrick, Mr. Kornze was Chief Geologist for Newmont Mines Ltd., Similkameen Division, B.C., and Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE: NEM) of Canada from 1968 to 1981.”

It seems that Larry D. Kornze also serves/has served on the Board of Directors and Advisory Boards of multiple mining companies, including:

Candente Resource Corp.
Gold Summit Corporation
Goldex Resources Corporation
Mexivada Mining Corp.
Dynasty Gold Corp.
Anaconda Gold Corp.
Duncan Park Holdings Corporation
Northland Resources Inc.
X-Cal Resources Ltd.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Mesa Exploration

If Neil Kornze’s father receives money or stock from any of these companies, and if Neil Kornze stands to inherit any of his father’s wealth in the future, there could be a potential for conflict of interest.  Congress should address this in confirmation hearings and the public should remain aware of these connections in the future.

SOURCES:

“Senator Harry Reid is Working Hard, but for Whom?”  http://www.lagunajournal.com/senator_harry_reid_is_working_ha.htm

http://www.thundermountaingold.com/s/Management.asp

http://www.owen-media.com/directoryofdirectors/execdetail.cfm?person=25972

http://uraniuminvestingnews.com/11072/mesa-exploration-greg-french-larry-kornze-board-of-directors.html

http://www.rimrockgold.com/uncategorized/rimrock-gold-corp-appoints-larry-kornze-to-advisory-board/

SOURCE:  The Ely Times

State Reps React to BLM Nomination

CARSON CITY — President Barack Obama has nominated Neil Kornze to become director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Kornze was raised in Elko and is a former senior adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Since March he has been leading the BLM as the agency’s principal deputy director.

The agency oversees more than 245 million acres of public lands nationwide, including about 48 million acres in Nevada.

“Neil has helped implement forward-looking reforms at the BLM to promote energy development in areas of minimal conflict, drive landscape-level planning efforts and dramatically expand the agency’s use of technology to speed up the process for energy permitting, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a press release.

Nevada Senator Dean Heller said having a Nevadan nominee is imperative because of the amount of public land in Nevada.

“Considering the BLM controls roughly 67 percent of Nevada’s land, a Nevadan like Neil has a unique perspective on the challenges that our state faces regarding public land use,” Heller said. “Any nominee to lead this agency must understand that good public land management and economic development are not mutually exclusive, an issue with which a Nevadan like Neil is familiar. At the same time, the BLM is in the process of making decisions about sage grouse conservation that could have an enormous impact on Nevada’s economy, As a member of the Committee reviewing this nomination, I look forward to discussing this issue with many others with my fellow Nevadans as we work through the confirmation process.”

Kornze joined the BLM in 2011 as a senior adviser to the director, working on a range of issues including renewable and conventional energy development and conservation policy. Kornze played a major role in the Obama administration’s public lands solar policy. If confirmed by the Senate, Kornze would be the head of the BLM, which manages more than 245 million acres of public land and 800 million sub-surface acres of mineral estate.

Kornze’s nomination appears to be a continuation of the Obama administration’s drive to push renewable energy projects.

Since 2010, the BLM approved 25 utility-scale solar energy projects and has 70 pending solar applications as well.

Reid also supported the nomination. Reid says having grown up in Elko, Kornze, who served as an aide to the Senator, has seen firsthand the critical role that publics lands play in the economies of Nevada and other Western states.

“I am pleased President Obama has nominated Neil Kornze to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management,” Reid said. “Neil fully understands how important public lands are for renewable energy development, outdoor recreation, economic development and conservation. Raised in Elko, Nevada, he has seen firsthand the cirtical role that public lands play in the economies of Nevada and other Western states. Neil was a trusted advisor of mine for many years and I am fully confident he will be a successful BLM director.”

Senators Reid and Heller also supported the Employment Non Discrimination Act, which would ban workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Discrimination of any kind is unacceptable,” Heller said. “Nevadans have made a point to ensure that our state laws offer protections for individuals regardless of their lifestyle. This bill will help ensure those same protections to Americans across the country. It is a well-balanced and fair piece of legislation that I hope the House of Representatives will also take up and pass.”

Reid said now is the time for Congress to act on this bill.

“It is time for Congress to pass a federal law that ensures all our citizens, regardless of where they live, can go to work unafraid to be who they are,” Reid said.

Whether it passes in the House of Representatives remains to be seen, something Nevada Congressman Steven Horsford said he hopes changes very quickly.

“I applaud Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for effectively moving ENDA forward, Senator Dean Heller for standing on the right side of history and the other 62 Senators for voting to align workplace policies in our country with the underlying American Creed of equality,” Horsford said. “…Unfortunately Speaker (John) Boehner has signaled he will likely not bring this legislation up for a vote in the House. It is sad that some in Congress are so out of touch that they would obstruct the will of the majority of Americans who support these common sense protections in federal law.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs

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22 replies »

  4. Well, I’m sure we’ll all sleep better tonight. But one teeeeeeny problem keeps jarring my rest. Such as, what in the world does a guy who JUST joined BLM in 2011 as an advisor know to be given the HELM!!! We are witnessing the “empty suit” phenomena at the head of the use of our PUBLIC lands. I’m very concerned. These mines are foreign. And nice that Reid and Heller are both reading the same teleprompter. That really comforts a person doesn’t it? I’m just darned sceptical.

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  5. Both comments on the article are spouting inaccuracies…. need someone to respond with some facts, not conjecture. I will be gone all day today. Anyone?

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  7. and I found this a news letter from a Golden Co. realtor about selling American real estate in China-I ask why do they want to come here? and just what do the Chinese eat(horse)(and cats and dogs) we all have our little agendas(ours being stopping roundups and horses slaughter) but the fact is we are losing our own country and fast

    http://ads.denverpost.com/ads/751410t

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    • As always, anything goes as long as there is money to be made. What a warm cozy feeling we can all get from that. Of course many people here in NY can hardly wait to get fracking started here! Looking at the Nat.Geographic video should discourage anyone with any common sense. And the pipe lines keep on being built.
      I did comment on the Ely times article – there were only 3 or 4 tho.

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  8. Really, folks, I can’t think of any senator that would help the horses and environment more by being replaced than Senator Harry Reid.
    But the good news is that in the last year we seen a collaberation between the usually disparate voices for the horses such as we’ve never seen. Furthermore, I’m seeing more and more evidence of bridges between us and ecological groups like biological diversity that have never existed before.
    HERE’S THE POINT: We need to replace Harry Reid the next time his seat comes up…not sure if that’s this election or the following…but it can be done because
    (millions of dollars) x (short amount of time) = (alot less money) x (longer time) x (dedicated, well-organized grass roots)
    Lets start now, and make an example of this guy. I can’t think on anyone more deserving than Harry Reid.

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  9. Another side to old Harry’s political tricks: 11-19-2013 Quote “Kornze, a former aide to Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), has been the BLM’s principal deputy director since March.”
    Harry Reid’s Aid and likely is a Mormon, too.
    Please be reminded that sneaky old Harry enticed former U.S. Senator Conrad Burns-R of WY, to add a “rider” to the 3000+ pages Dec. 2004 Ominus Bill that opened the door to wild horse slaughter. Only the tip of the iceberg for Reid’s sneaky actions.

    5-12-2005-Las Vegas SUN Burns says Reid backed bill limiting wild horse protection.

    Betty in Nevada

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    • Burns is Montana…not WY.

      Details, people, details are important.

      And yes, Reid (D-NV) is a wild equine, land sucking troll extraordinaire.

      Anyone ever heard of the Mormon Mafia in the West? Very little to do with faith, god actually.

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  10. Sounds like this is not only another “fox in the hen house” political choice … but more like a “fox with an automatic weapon in the hen house” action.

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  11. Harry Reid once again! I’m a Democrat and he’s making me very angry. His buddy at the head of the BLM is a joke. Who IS minding the store there in Washington? This “old Boy” network has got to go and I don’t mean replace them with Tea Partiers!

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    • I don’t see it now but thought on first read one of the articles said Kornze is 35… how can anyone that young be a “senior advisor” to anyone in Gov’t.? Sounds like a grooming job has been going on, maybe most of this young man’s career.

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  12. I know that Reid was going out the last time he was running for reelection because I know for a fact that he must have been worried about keeping his job. He was ignoring the housing bubble in his state that was causing thousands of his constitutes to lose their homes because of high unemployment. So what he did he arranged to have busloads of Mexicans many of them illegal aliens from the LA area that were members of Unions driven to Nevada to vote for him, probably more than once. I considered that most of them, if not all, had fake IDs that claimed they lived in Nevada but were never checked. Reid is open borders he was then as well as now. Reid as well as most of the democrats want the illegals as dem voters. His current term ends 2017 and he is running for reelection in 2016. This crook needs to be voted out if that’s possible. All I can say is anyone that will be running against him in Nevada needs to be supported by all the voters in Nevada. Reid has done more damage to the wild horses in Nevada along with the BLM than anyone I know of.

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