Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Conservation: The Dixie Valley Geothermal Plant and the Endangered Dixie Toad

This report will look at the Dixie Valley Nevada geothermal plant and how it impacts the Dixie toad, the surrounding environment, local community members, and the local indigenous tribes in the area. Ormat, a Canadian mining company, has proposed significant economic and development growth at one of Nevada's hottest geothermal sources in Dixie Valley. We will look at socioeconomic factors such as where the geothermal site is located compared to indigenous land and local towns and communities. We will also examine local government, private sectors, and local organizations and their responses to the Ormat's plan to open the Geothermal site. Other environmental aspects discussed in the paper will be public and private land and the environmental impact statement from Nepa documents produced by the Bureau of Land Management. I will incorporate how the geothermal plant has impacted the ecosystems and landscapes of the Dixie Valley toad. The Timbisha Shoshone and Southern Paiute Tribes and the Center for Biological Diversity have filed a lawsuit against Ormat due to the risks posed by sustainable development and the Dixie Valley toad. Lastly, our research will look at the economic and working opportunities for people working at the Geothermal site and how this may influence policy decision making.