Black Mountain Sand Receives a Certificate of Inclusion into the Texas Conservation Plan
August 22 2017 - 12:43PM
Business Wire
Black Mountain Sand LLC (“Black Mountain” or the “Company”)
announced that the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, in
conjunction with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has
granted its Vest and El Dorado frac sand mines together a
Certificate of Inclusion into the Texas Conservation Plan (TCP) for
the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (DSL). Black Mountain is one of the only
sand miners expected to receive a Certificate, the product of
several months of diligence, planning, and coordination with the
Texas Comptroller’s office. Black Mountain’s proactive property
management and conservation measures will protect it and its
customers from potential disruptions to Permian Basin frac sand
mining.
The DSL is indigenous to the shinnery oak dunes of southeastern
New Mexico and West Texas. USFWS proposed listing the DSL as an
endangered species in 2010 amid worries that oil and gas activity
within the Permian Basin could threaten the species’ survival. In
June 2012 the Texas Conservation Plan was formed through a
state-led voluntary conservation effort. This landmark agreement
encourages property owners to enroll land within the plan in
exchange for coverage if the DSL is listed under the enhancement of
survival permits pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered
Species Act.
Black Mountain recognized early the importance of this issue and
how, if handled poorly, it could jeopardize not only frac sand
mining activities, but also the progress made by existing Permian
Basin stakeholders. Prior to entering the Texas Conservation Plan,
Black Mountain committed to limiting its mining plans to areas
completely outside of the mapped habitat established in 2012. Now,
with entry into the TCP it has also agreed to fund research,
dedicate acreage to a conservation easement, and conduct its mining
operations by an agreed upon, environmentally sensitive
protocol.
“We intend to be here for the next 30 years,” commented Rhett
Bennett, Black Mountain Chief Executive Officer. “We want to be
good neighbors, and thoughtful contributors to the community and
the issues it faces.”
Dr. Robert Gulley, Director of Economic Growth & Endangered
Species Management for the Texas Comptroller’s office, said, “This
is a great example of the Texas Conservation Plan working as it was
intended. Through voluntary enrollment and disciplined stewardship,
we will preserve economic activity and protect the dunes sagebrush
lizard’s habitat.”
About Black Mountain Sand
Black Mountain Sand is an NGP-backed sand supplier with nearly
30,000 acres accumulated within Winkler County. Its two frac sand
mines, Vest and El Dorado, are on track to be in-service in
December and January, respectively. The Company’s in-basin product,
Winkler White™, provides a high quality, cost-effective proppant
solution to meet the demands of the Permian Basin. For more
information, visit www.blackmountainsand.com.
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Black Mountain Sand LLCHayden Gillespie, 817-698-9901Chief
Commercial Officerhayden.gillespie@blackmtn.com