The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has voted to advance the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, which will open 25,000 acres of public land in southern Nevada for development.
Also known as the Clark County Lands Bill, the legislation will also set aside two million acres of federally managed land for conservation, recreation and cultural preservation.
The bill was first introduced in 2021 by Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, has called it the largest conservation measure in state history.
The legislation could serve to spur major expansion around the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, around Lake Las Vegas and generally across southern Nevada. Cortez Masto said the bill can help the Las Vegas area lower housing costs, preserve outdoor space and plan for sustainability.
The bill does not set aside land specifically for affordable housing, but local governments can submit applications to use land for affordable housing development and receive priority consideration.
While some environmental groups have expressed appreciation for the bill’s conservation components, others have said it will contribute too heavily to “urban sprawl” and overdevelopment.
Revenue from the sale of land freed for development will fund recreation projects, capital improvements, wildlife habitat conservation and wildfire threat mitigation efforts as allowed by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. More than $3.5B has been generated from the auction of approximately 18,000 acres in the Las Vegas Valley since the SNPLMA took effect in 1998.
In addition to the land sales and conservation portions, some sections of the public land will go to public safety, parks and recreation under the new legislation. The City of North Las Vegas will receive approximately 200 acres for parks and recreation facilities, 10 acres for a fire training development and five acres for a police substation.
Clark County will get 130 acres for Metro training facilities, 20 for a public safety complex at Mount Charleston, and 200 for an expansion of Hollywood Regional Park that will include a fire station and a police station. It will also get nearly 1,600 acres for public recreation and park facilities. (Source)
