September 4, 2012 The Honorable Ken Salazar Secretary, U.S.

Department of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20015 Dear Secretary Salazar, I am writing to express my support of the Bureau of Land Managements Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for oil shale and tar sands. Southern Nevada currently depends on the Colorado River for almost all of its water needs. Nearly two million residents, as well as local businesses and millions of annual visitors rely on the river for safe and reliable drinking water. For most of the last decade, Southern Nevada has worked to balance growing water demands and depleting water supplies. I fully support the right of every state to develop their full entitlement of Colorado River water, and understand the challenges associated with limiting development based on the type of use. However, ongoing drought conditions require a more stringent evaluation of Colorado River Basin activities. As drought conditions continue to impact Colorado River snow pack and water flows, it is important that local, state and federal governments carefully consider water use and water quality impacts associated with activities within the Colorado River Basin, including oil shale and tar sands development. While it is difficult to know the potential implications associated with these and other similar developments with certainty, it goes without saying that consequences to the availability and quality of Colorado River should be fully evaluated. A thorough and comprehensive analysis of these impacts will be beneficial to all Colorado River water users. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,

Lawrence L. Brown, III Clark County Commission Nevada