Washington, D.C. – Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid today introduced the White Pine County Lands bill, a comprehensive measure modeled after the hugely successful Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998, the 2002 Clark County Lands Bill and the 2004 Lincoln County Lands Bill. The legislation expands economic development opportunities for White Pine County, allows for responsible sales of BLM lands, resolves wilderness study areas, creates new initiatives for affordable and workforce housing, and funds fire prevention efforts around Lake Tahoe, in the Spring Mountains, and across eastern Nevada.
“The White Pine County Lands Bill is an extension of one of the most successful pieces of legislation in recent Nevada history, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act,” Ensign said. “It was important throughout the process of drafting this bill that the people of White Pine County be closely consulted as to what was ultimately in this bill. This is historic legislation that, like the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, will benefit generations of Nevadans.”
“This legislation is the product of many years of meetings, tours and deliberations,” said Reid. “We have worked hard to ensure that this bill gives the people of White Pine County a greater voice in local growth, recreation and conservation issues. It creates more affordable housing, provides growth opportunities for White Pine County’s communities, and protects some of Nevada’s most incredible wild lands. I greatly appreciate the ranchers, land managers, conservationists, tribal members, elected officials and others who have worked with us to craft this important bill.”
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The White Pine County Lands Bill distributes 5% of land sales proceeds to the state education fund; 10% to White Pine County law enforcement, fire protection, transportation and natural resource planning; and 85% to create a special account that will fund protection of wilderness areas in White Pine County, support a three-year study for a potential extension of the Silver State OHV trail, promote resource protection and carry out a county-wide recreation study.
The bill designates approximately 545,000 acres of wilderness in 13 new wilderness areas and simplifies land management system around Great Basin National Park to protect the park’s unique natural resources. In addition, expansions and improvements at Ely Airport, Cave Lake State Park, Charcoal Ovens State Park, Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area, and the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge are included in the White Pine County bill.
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