I have always been a strong supporter of environmental protection and have fought for improvements to our major environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and Superfund. These and other environmental laws have made two-thirds of the country’s lakes safe again for recreational and commercial uses, taken endangered species out of danger of extinction, and cleaned up and revitalized previously contaminated sites in our inner cities and rural areas. I look forward to continuing to strengthen these and other environmental laws so even more can be accomplished.

Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Communities

Clean Air

I am pleased that while our nation's population has grown, our air, in most instances, has started to get cleaner. This is largely due to the protections of the Clean Air Act that have significantly reduced air pollution from vehicles, power plants, and industrial sources.  I am severely disappointed that the current Administration has worked overtime to weaken those protections and undermine enforcement efforts.  The result has been a serious slowdown in the progress toward cleaner air that meets the nation’s scientifically documented public health needs.

I have fought the Administration’s effort to dismantle the Clean Air Act’s new source review provisions. These provisions embody the common sense notion that as utilities and major energy sources upgrade their plants, they should install the most modern pollution controls available. This is no trivial matter: whether those upgrades are clean or dirty means the difference between a healthy future or chronic disease and death for many Americans.

Clean Water

I have been a strong supporter of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts. These cornerstones of environmental protection have implemented pollution control programs, set water quality standards, and funded sewage treatment plants. Over the last thirty years, these landmark laws have helped make two-thirds of the country’s lakes safe again for recreational and commercial uses and provided safer drinking water for communities throughout Nevada and the nation.

As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I have worked hard to fund projects that have improved the water quality in every corner of Nevada.  Since 2000, I have delivered over $100 million in federal funding for water system improvements for communities all across Nevada.  Improving and maintaining the quality of water in Nevada will continue to be one of my highest priorities.

Brownfields

I was a principal author of the Brownfield Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act, which provides $250 million annually for grants to state and local governments to cleanup brownfields sites. There are approximately 500,000 such sites across the nation. This law also encourages such cleanups by providing hazardous waste cleanup liability protection to innocent purchasers and developers of contaminated land. The fear of such liability has been a major impediment to the reuse and redevelopment of such land.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimates that cleaning up polluted sites will not only improve the environment, but will create more than 587,000 jobs nationally and increase annual tax revenues from between $902 million to $2.4 billion dollars. Las Vegas alone has 30 brownfields sites that, once cleaned up, can be brought back into beneficial use for local neighborhoods. Cleaning up these sites would generate between $1.6 and $4 million per year of additional tax revenues, and create an estimated 320 jobs.

Preserving Nevada’s Natural Beauty

I have worked especially hard to protect and preserve unique areas in Nevada, such as Great Basin National Park, the Ruby Mountains, Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, and Lake Tahoe. Nevada’s natural splendor provides tremendous recreational opportunities for Nevadans and provides a boon to our economy by attracting tens of thousands of tourists to our state each year.  I am strongly committed to preserving our state’s rich natural heritage for the enjoyment of current and future generations of Nevadans.

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is the jewel of the Sierras. That is why I have been working for many years to restore Lake Tahoe to its fabled clarity. I am proud to have convened the first Lake Tahoe Summit in 1997 to draw national attention to the declining health and clarity of the lake. Then-President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore accepted my initiation to attend the event and helped bring much needed attention to the problems facing the Lake Tahoe Basin. 

In 2000, I worked closely with other members of Congress to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which authorized $300 million over ten years for restoration efforts at the Lake. This funding supports land acquisition, erosion control, forest management, fire suppression, and efforts to improve water quality. This year alone, the federal government will invest over $38 million at Lake Tahoe. I’ll keep fighting every year to make sure Lake Tahoe gets the federal funding and attention it needs and deserves.

Nevada’s Sportsmen

In 2005, I worked closely with members from both parties to pass legislation (S. 339) that reaffirmed each state’s right to regulate hunting and fishing. I led this effort because a previous court ruling attempted to undermine the traditional role that states have in regulating its hunting and fishing laws. I respect the authority of states to enact laws to protect their legitimate interests in conserving fish and game, as well as providing opportunities for in-state and out-of-state residents to hunt and fish. This legislation was signed into law in May, and it will help ensure that Nevada sportsmen continue to enjoy the sporting opportunities that our state offers.

Great Basin National Park

In 1986, I authored the law creating the Great Basin National Park – the first national park in Nevada. The park spans 76,000 acres of eastern Nevada and features dramatic mountain ranges, semi-arid basins, and thousand-year-old bristlecone pine forests. I have also introduced legislation to highlight the area’s rich cultural history and stunning landscapes by designating the Great Basin National Heritage Route, including all of White Pine County. This Heritage Route helps bring attention and resources to this special area that contains segments of the historical Pony Express and Overland Trails, as well as impressive archaeological and natural resources. I am also pleased that I was able to secure $3.2 million for the construction of the Great Basin National Park Visitor Learning Center. This facility opened over the Fourth of July weekend in 2005 and now provides a wonderful introduction to one of Nevada’s most incredible areas.

Walker Lake

Over the past century, Walker Lake has lost three-fourths of its volume, and its water level has fallen by 140 feet. The resulting increase in water salinity threatens the ability of the Lahontan cutthroat trout to survive there. I organized a Walker Lake Summit to discuss the dire state of the Lake and what actions might help restore it. As a result of the Summit, the federal government and the State of Nevada are in the process of crafting a solution which takes into account the interests of those who want to save Walker Lake and those who fear that such a project will significantly affect local agriculture. Preliminary studies suggest that the Lake can be saved with only a marginal impact on the agricultural economies of the Smith and Mason Valleys.

At the Summit, we also focused on how to finance the multi faceted efforts that are needed to save Walker Lake. In order help pay for the federal actions needed to save the Lake, I secured over $200 million in the 2002 Farm Bill (P.L. 107-171) for a variety of measures that will benefit Walker Lake.  A portion of that money is being spent on measures to get more water to Walker Lake, but far more needs to be done. I have also helped secure funding for programs that have been successful in combating the tamarisk in the Walker basin. I have also secured additional funds in recent years to facilitate the ongoing negotiations among the various interested parties.  Working together, we can and will save Walker Lake.

Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act

The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act became law in 1998. The money generated from land sales authorized by this legislation are used for high priority conservation, park, and trail projects, the development of public facilities like the Clark County Shooting Park, and for the protection of sensitive lands. I will continue fight to ensure that the purpose of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is protected.

Clark County Public Lands Bill

In 2002, I authored legislation with Senator Ensign to provide a comprehensive public lands management plan for Clark County. This strong bipartisan legislation released wilderness study areas to enhance economic opportunities in Clark County while adding 440,000 acres to the national wilderness system. The measure preserved the beautiful areas that bless southern Nevada by creating the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and expanding the existing Red Rock National Conservation Area. It also will help ensure a clean future for Clark County by establishing the Southern Nevada Litter Cleanup Campaign.

Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act

Building on the success of Clark County’s public lands bill, in 2004 Senator Ensign and I authored a land bill for Lincoln County that improved land management, created more private land, and protected sensitive areas. The Lincoln County Public Lands bill represents the largest wilderness bill in the history of Nevada. This legislation designated over 768,000 acres in new wilderness areas, including over 150,000 acres of the Mormon Mountains. The bill also provides funding for the development and implementation of a multispecies habitat conservation plan for Lincoln County and for the protection of sensitive archaeological sites in the area. In short, this legislation represents a significant step forward in our efforts to protect and preserve our state’s rich natural heritage for current and future generations of Nevadans.

Truckee River Operating Agreement

I authored this comprehensive water rights settlement, which helped preserve and expand the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge near Fallon. In fact, the Stillwater wetlands have been designated a site of international importance by the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network because of the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds, such as Long-billed dowitcher, Black-necked stilt, and American avocet that pass through during migration. This area also provides some of the best waterfowl hunting opportunities in Nevada.
Additionally, the legislation provided water resources and funding to help restore Pyramid Lake. In 2002, I secured additional funds in the Farm Bill to bolster the projects authorized by the Truckee River Operating Agreement. I remain strongly committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing effort to restore Pyramid Lake.

California Trail Center

Working with local leaders in Elko County to make the California Trail Interpretive Center a reality, I was pleased to have appropriated $8 million in federal funding for this important project. When completed, the Center will chronicle the 19th century overland journal of more than 300,000 settlers and will be an important tourist destination in northern Nevada.

Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout is unique to Nevada, and restoring the population along the Truckee and Walker Rivers will increase recreational opportunities, while guaranteeing the future of this important and historic species.  In recent years, I have delivered over $1 million in federal funding to Nevada for the propagation of the Lahontan Cutthroat trout in the Lake Tahoe basin and the Truckee, Carson and Walker River basins.

Fighting Threats

Climate Change

I believe that global warming constitutes one of the greatest challenges of our time. The United States accounts for approximately 4 percent of the world’s population, yet it is responsible for approximately 25 percent of the world’s global warming pollution. Our government must provide domestic and global leadership on this issue because we have a moral responsibility to leave future generations with a safe and habitable world. The President must build international support for global greenhouse gas reductions and work with Congress to increase U.S. efforts to do the same.  I am hopeful that the Senate will again take up bipartisan legislation that will require mandatory reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions, and build upon the efforts of Fortune 500 companies and many state and local governments that have made significant reductions in their emissions.

In the last century, the average global temperature increased by almost 1 degree.  By the end of this century, scientists think the increase will be somewhere between 6 and 10 degrees, with a 1 to 3 foot rise in sea-levels.  The problems associated with climate change are clearly very real and scientifically credible.  Changes in the Earth’s temperature affect trade winds, atmospheric water transport, and cloud dynamics. Changes in temperature also affect evaporation rates, soil moisture, and snowfall and snowmelt regimes. Changes in precipitation affect the timing and magnitude of floods and droughts, shift runoff, and alter groundwater recharge characteristics.  Some likely impacts of global warming include more intense hurricanes, extreme weather events like flooding, and disruption of ecosystems by invasive species and loss of habitat.

These changes are likely to have a significant impact on water, land, ecosystems and quality of life in Nevada. According to the Administration's Climate Action Report (2002), the natural ecosystems of the Great Basin and other areas in the country appear highly vulnerable to the projected changes in climate. Wintertime precipitation is likely to increase in the southern part of the state due to warming of the Pacific Ocean, while snow pack in the north is projected to decrease significantly. Some ecosystems that are already constrained by climate, such as alpine meadows in the Rocky Mountains, are likely to face extreme stress and disappear entirely in some places. 
     
Nevadans have seen a great deal of change in the last 50 years, but those changes will pale in comparison to the projected impacts of global warming on the desert, our water supplies, communities, and our economy. Shifts in weather systems and our environment are already occurring. The Federal government can help us adapt to and prepare for these changes, but must also lead the nation on a path toward significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions here and abroad as rapidly as possible. That path means dramatic increases in renewable energy and other technologies that pollute less and create jobs in America.

Fighting Invasive Species

I have been a strong supporter of measures designed to control invasive species in Nevada. I believe that it is important to control these invasive species because certain species can threaten aquatic systems by depleting water and out-competing beneficial native vegetation like willow and cottonwood trees and others can provide significant wildfire fuel.  To help alleviate the pressures that the invasive species are putting on lands in Nevada, I helped to establish the Nevada Arid Rangelands Initiative through the University of Nevada, Reno.  I have also secured millions of dollars of federal funding that have helped to restore and rehabilitate Nevada’s unique ecosystem.

Wildfires

Although wildfires play an important role in naturally-functioning rangelands and forests, if they burn out of control, they can devastate our communities.  That is why I have supported funding for removing hazardous fuels and eradicating fire-prone invasive species across Nevada.

Eradicating Mormon Crickets

As someone who grew up in rural Nevada, I am and have been especially committed to improving the quality of life throughout the rural areas of our state.  The Mormon cricket infestations that have been experienced throughout Nevada have caused a great deal of hardship to ranchers, farmers, and numerous businesses.  In response, I worked hard to secure over $6 million for local officials and volunteers in Nevada to combat the Mormon crickets on both public and private land.  This money has given the hard-working people who have been fighting this threat the support they need to protect our communities from future infestations.  I will continue to monitor the progress of these efforts.

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