WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressmen Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) and Jon Porter (R-Nev.) today called on the Bush Administration to abandon the budget proposal to reallocate the revenues of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) to the general U.S. Treasury.  
 
“Simply put, these funds were raised in Nevada by Nevadans and should stay in Nevada,” said Gibbons.  “This money is needed to address the needs of the new residents who have moved to Nevada thanks to the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.  These funds should not be used to acquire more land or simply given to the federal government for use in other states.  While I applaud efforts to lower our deficit, I will fight this proposal and work to keep these dollars in Nevada to address the needs of our growing communities and citizens.”
 
“It is critically important that SNPLA dollars go toward preserving Southern Nevada for future generations,” added Porter.  I have voiced my strong opposition to this proposal to the Administration, and will work with my Nevada colleagues to see that SNPLA funding stays in Nevada as the law has intended.”  
 
The text of Gibbons and Porter’s letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolten is as follows:

Dear Director Bolten:
 
We are writing to express our strong opposition to the budgetary proposal to transfer 70 percent of the funds generated from federal land sales in the State of Nevada to the general treasury.  The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) outlines the authorized uses for this money and this precedent was reaffirmed last November with the passage of the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act.  
 
These two Nevada land bills were passed with overwhelming support.  In both instances, Congress determined that the money should remain within Nevada because over 90 percent of its land is owned and managed by the federal government.  This monstrous federal domain cuts deeply into the potential property taxes that would normally be paid to state and local governments to fund necessary public services.  Also, the federal government has been severely negligent in funding the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for years.  As a result, the counties of Nevada never receive their fair and adequate share of funding from PILT.  Thus, the monies in the SNPLMA account serve as critical compensation for the federal government’s control over our land.  Further, these revenues were raised by Nevadans for Nevada land and should remain in Nevada.   
 
Under SNPLMA, the federal government is working with Nevada to solve problems.  The State and Bureau of Land Management have come together to address many of the environmental concerns caused by the unprecedented growth in Southern Nevada.  These revenues go towards protecting sensitive lands and habitats as well as towards improving our recreational areas, parks, and trails.  It will be detrimental and against Congressional intent if this money is taken from the uses within Nevada and redirected toward the U.S. Treasury.  
 
We hope you will reconsider this misguided proposal.  If not, please know that we will do everything in our power to ensure this money stays in Nevada as Congress intended.

Sincerely,

Jim Gibbons

Jon Porter

Members of Congress

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