Northern Nevada lands bills pass Senate, set to become law

Today, in a big moment for Northern Nevada, a historic package of lands bills – six introduced by Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-2) and one by Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-4) –passed the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Also included in the defense spending bill was Horsford’s Tule Springs legislation for Southern Nevada. The bills now move on to the President to be signed into law.

The Nevada lands bills poised to become law are as follows:

H.R. 433, the Pine Forest Range Recreation Enhancement Act, would designate approximately 26,000 acres within the Blue Lakes and Alder Creek Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) as the Pine Forest Range Wilderness Area and release approximately 1,000 acres of the existing WSA lands. The bill would also direct the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to exchange federal lands surrounding nearby ranches for private parcels within the existing WSAs to allow for management of public lands and ensure the economic viability of privately owned ranches.

H.R. 696, the Lyon County Economic Development and Conservation Act, would enable the City of Yerington to partner with Nevada Copper to purchase, at fair market value, and develop approximately 10,000 acres of BLM land surrounding the Pumpkin Hollow project site for industrial, recreational, and infrastructure purposes. The bill would also designate approximately 48,000 acres in Lyon County as the Wovoka Wilderness Area.

H.R. 1167, the Restoring Storey County Act, would transfer the surface rights to approximately 1,745 acres of BLM land in Virginia City to Storey County to resolve conflicting ownership and title claims.

H.R. 1168, the Carlin Economic Self-Determination Act, would convey to the City of Carlin approximately 1,400 acres of BLM land surrounding the city for the purpose of multi-use development.

H.R. 1169, the Naval Air Station Fallon Housing and Safety Development Act, would transfer an approximately 400 acre BLM parcel within the confines of the Fallon Naval Air Station to the Secretary of the Navy. This land would be used for housing Navy families and would provide needed flexibility to grow the base.

H.R. 1170, the Fernley Economic Self-Determination Act, would convey to the City of Fernley approximately 9,114 acres of BLM and Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) lands within the city boundaries for the purpose of multi-use development.

H.R. 2015, the Las Vegas Valley Public Land and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Act, would establish Nevada’s first national monument and convey BLM land suitable for economic development in Clark and Nye Counties, additions to the Great Basin College in Pahrump, College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) campuses, the creation of the Nellis Dunes OHV park and an expansion of Nellis Air Force Base.

H.R. 2455, the Elko Motocross and Tribal Conveyance Act, would convey to Elko County and the Te-moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada approximately 275 acres of BLM land to be used as a motocross, bicycle, off-highway vehicle, or stock car racing area.