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Steptoe Valley
Steptoe Valley is a long valley located in White Pine County, in northeastern Nevada. From the historic community of Currie, the valley runs south for approximately 100 miles. To the west are the high Egan Range and the Cherry Creek Range, while to the east is the even higher Schell Creek Range. Highway 93 passes through the valley, past the historic mining town of Cherry Creek and the communities of McGill and Ely, before crossing the Schell Creek Range at Connor’s Pass. Also found in this valley are the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area, and Cave Lake State Park. At Egan Canyon and Schellbourne Pass (near Cherry Creek), the Overland Stage Line and the subsequent Pony Express and Transcontinental Telegraph made their way through the mountains of central Nevada in the 1860s. The valley is named after Colonel Edward Steptoe, who explored the region in 1854.

Steptoe Valley Parcel
This is one of the largest parcels available in the Steptoe Valley. It has easy access off of the Highway 93 between Ely and McGill.

160 acres – The Seller is willing to sell 20s, 40s and 80s. If parceled smaller the Buyer will have to cooperate with county approval and pay for the required survey.

List Price: $8,000.00 per acre.

600 acre-feet annually of water rights are available for purchase separately.

List Price: $6,000.00 per acre-foot.

Location
This parcel has easy access off of Highway 93. Take Highway 93 north from Ely, turn west on County Road 347 onto a dirt road, then follow the road west to the end. At the end of the road you will see a very old set of improvements with corrals to the north. Please don’t get near the corrals or the livestock. The road ends at the southwest corner of the ranch. The property to the west is federal, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. This is an excellent parcel for a private ranch or a planned unit development. Located between Ely and McGill it is centrally located and easy driving distance to all parts of the valley.

Outdoor Recreation
White Pine County’s outdoor recreation is unparalleled. Visit the Great Basin National Park, located 60 miles southeast of Ely on the county’s eastern border. It is the home of the ancient Bristlecone Pine, Lehman Caves, and majestic Mt. Wheeler, the highest point in the county at 13,063 feet above sea level. Mountain ranges rise from 8,000 to 13,000 feet above the valley floor at 6,000 feet. The terrain takes you from desert sand and sage brush through bands of pinion and juniper forests to sub-alpine bristlecone pine. Fly fish at Cave Lake State Park (which boasts the state record 27 pound German Brown Trout) fourteen miles southeast of Ely, or cross-country ski at the Ward Mountain Recreation Area and Trail System just six miles from the Ely city limits.

Spend an afternoon rock hounding at Garnet Hill. Watch, photograph or hunt the state’s largest elk herd, second largest mule deer herd, and third largest antelope herd. Herds of elk, deer or wild horses are often seen. The Ely Chamber of Commerce motto of "Experience the Unexpected" is very appropriate.

Hunting in Northern Nevada
Nevada’s big game species include mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, three sub-species of bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and mountain goat. Nevada’s big game hunts are conducted by a random draw process and are available to those 12 years old or older. Applications are generally available in mid-March and the application deadline is around mid-April. A second drawing is conducted for remaining tags in June, and any remaining tags after that draw can be applied for on a first-come, first-served basis. Mountain lion tags are available over the counter and furbearers can be hunted or trapped with a trapping license. Upland game birds like chukar partridge, California and Gamble's quail, ruffed grouse, pheasant, blue grouse, dove, and the Himalayan snowcock are popular upland game, or hunters may choose to hunt waterfowl or certain migratory birds. Unprotected species like coyote and black-tailed jackrabbit may be hunted without a hunting license by both residents and nonresidents, but a trapping license is required to trap them.

Climate
White Pine County enjoys a high desert climate characterized by clear sunny days, low humidity, and wide temperature swings every day. Summertime temperatures are generally in the 80 to 90 degree range during the day and fall to 45 degrees at night. Because of the elevation, nights are cool and the growing season is about 90 days. Winter temperatures range from 30 to 50 degrees during the day and fall below 0 about 10 to 20 times per year.
Average Annual Precipitation: 9.27 inches
Average Annual Snowfall: 49.1 inches
Average Growing Season: 90 days
Average Number of Sunny, Clear Days: 114
Average Number of Partly Cloudy Days: 113
Average Number of Cloudy Days: 138

Elevation
The elevation is approximately 6,435 feet.

History
From the late nineteenth century until near the end of the twentieth century, the major industry and the main impetus for settlement has been mining the region's deposits of copper, silver, and gold. The most notable of these operations included a series of open-pit copper mines near the town of Ruth, and a copper smelter in McGill. With the opening of each new mining district, the opportunity for men to cut the wild hay and graze herds of cattle to supplement the quantities of foodstuff that had to be transported from a distance also developed. By this process, agriculture and stock raising took root. Often, when the mining district played out, the stockman remained. Men discovered the productiveness of Steptoe Valley and the excellent grazing grounds for stock. When the mines suspended, a nucleus of the population remained to carry on a pioneer program of raising grain and hay and grazing cattle and sheep over the hills.

Agriculture
While farming and ranching continue to perform a significant role in the county economy, due to low annual precipitation, farming is limited to areas that can be irrigated from mountain streams or wells. Cultivated crops consist mostly of grains and forage. One of the major assets White Pine County retains is excellent grazing ranges. Raising livestock predominates in the area. The mountain ranges provide summer pasture for both cattle and sheep. All stock must be "finished" for market in feed yards. Sheep flocks are moved to flat valleys at the approach of winter. Bands of sheep can commonly spend an entire winter without receiving supplemental feed. They eat snow for moisture and consume a variety of desert plants, including the lowly sagebrush.

Population
There are about 10,000 people in White Pine County. The majority of which, approximately 7,000 people, live in Ely (the county seat) and the surrounding towns.

White Pine County
White Pine County, in the east-central part of Nevada, is bounded on the east by the Nevada-Utah State line. White Pine County was created in 1869 out of eastern Lander County and was named for the heavy growth of Limber Pine trees common in the county’s mountains, thought to be White Pine. Hamilton was the first county seat from 1869 to 1887 when it was replaced after a fire by Ely. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 8,897 square miles. Several sections of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest exist within the county, as does Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historical Park. In the southeastern part of the county is the Great Basin National Park. The park came into existence on October 17, 1986. Hiking, camping, and scenic drives are available in the park. Dramatic mountain peaks, lush meadows, clear mountain streams and alpine lakes can be seen plus a wide range of plant and animal habitats. The Lehman Caves are a special attraction of the park. They contain an array of stalactites, stalagmites and other unique formations with guided tours conducted daily.

Taxation in Nevada: The incentives of doing business in Nevada are expansive. Nevada boasts one of the most liberal tax structures in the nation and from a tax-planning perspective, the return on investment in the form of tax saving dollars can be enormous. In Nevada, you WILL NOT pay any of the following state taxes:

• Personal Income Tax
• Corporate Income Tax
• Franchise Tax on Income
• Unitary, Inventory Tax Inheritance, Estate, Gift Tax
• Admissions, Chain Store Tax

Taxation in White Pine County: In White Pine County, the sales tax rate is 7.125. The 2006-07 average county wide property tax rate is 3.660.

Proposed Construction Projects in the Region

Two of the largest proposed public works projects in the history of the state of Nevada are progressing in Northeastern Nevada.

Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) Regional Water Pipeline

• Water wells and a regional water pipeline from north of Ely to Las Vegas.
• Projected to employ approximately 1,000 during construction.
• Estimated $2 Billion budget.

Click Link Below to SNWA Regional Water Pipeline Project Website

Department of Energy (DOE) Railroad Project

• New Railroad from north of Caliente to Yucca Mountain.
• Projected to employ approximately 1,000 during construction.
• Estimated $2 Billion budget.

Click Link Below to DOE Railroad Project Website

In addition to the described public works projects:

Sierra Pacific Resources just announced plans to build four power plants, the Ely Energy Center, north of Ely and a major new power transmission line from the new power plants to Las Vegas. It will be the largest energy development project since Hoover Dam.

Estimated $3 Billion budget.

Click Link Below to Sierra Pacific Resources Website

http://investors.sierrapacificresources.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=117698&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=802146&highlight=

LS Power is planning to build a 1600 megawatt power plant north of Ely and a major new transmission line from its new power plant to Idaho and Las Vegas.

Estimated $2 Billion budget

Click Link Below to LS Power Website

http://www.lspower.com/projects/?project=white_pine

The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the LS Power Project has been completed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The development of an EIS has just started for the Ely Energy Center proposed by Sierra Pacific Resources.

The draft EIS for SNWA’s pipeline and the draft EIS for the DOE’s railroad are in the late stages of completion.

All of the projects have published construction schedules which began immediately upon final federal, state and county approvals.

Only 3.4% of the land in White Pine County is privately owned. Of that 3.4%, only a small percentage has water rights available for purchase. This is an excellent time to invest in this region as these multi-billion dollar projects progress.