Northern Nevada lands bills scheduled for final passage Monday by House

Described as a historic package of Northern Nevada lands bills — six introduced by Congressman Mark Amodei and one by Rep. Steven Horsford — will be up for final passage in the House as a bipartisan suspension bill on Monday, Sept. 15.

“I want to thank Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy and their staffs for their support and assistance in moving these measures to the House floor in two consecutive Congresses,” said Amodei in a news release. “After expected passage by the House, for the second time, on Monday evening, I will sit by my phone waiting for the call from Senators Reid and Heller inviting me to the White House to see the President sign this consensus and long overdue Nevada legislation.”

“After years of hard work, this bill is scheduled and ready to go,” said Horsford in a news release. “Yerington desperately needs an economic jolt, and this job-creating legislation will put Nevadans back to work. The Yerington Jobs Bill is an example of what we can get done in Washington when we put petty partisan differences aside and come together for the good of our constituents. For Nevadans this is long overdue, but with hard work and determination we got this done.”

H.R. 5205, the Northern Nevada Land Conservation and Economic Development Act includes the following measures:

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 give the City of Carlin the opportunity to purchase, at fair market value, 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 give the City of Fernley the opportunity to purchase, at fair market value, up to approximately 9,114 acres of BLM and Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) lands within the city boundaries at fair market value for the purpose of multi-use development.

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