Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today announced the U.S. Department of the Interior has committed more than $348 million in funding to projects across the state that will help protect Nevada’s public lands, expand recreational parks, rehabilitate wildlife habitat, and prevent wildfires. This funding comes through provisions in the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), which ensures that revenues from public lands sales in Clark County are returned to conservation and recreation projects in Nevada. Cortez Masto has been a long-time champion of the SNPLMA funding and the work it does to help protect Nevada’s lands and outdoor spaces.
The projects funded include a new bike trail in Red Rock Canyon, a visitors’ center in Sloan Canyon, a new Heritage Park and upgrades to the fairgrounds in White Pine County, and substantial hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention activities around the Lake Tahoe Basin. Cortez Masto has repeatedly called for more funding to support and expand Red Rock, and she has multiple pieces of legislation to help increase wildfire prevention activities across the Lake Tahoe Basin.
“Nevadans in every corner of our state will benefit from this vital funding, which will help revitalize our public lands with trail upgrades, cultural centers, and critical conservation and wildfire prevention projects,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m glad these funds are being returned to the state and invested in projects that will make Nevada healthier and more sustainable. Enjoying our great outdoors spaces is a way of life for Nevadans, and I’ll continue to fight to defend Nevada’s public lands and open spaces and ensure our state is getting the funding it deserves.”
From the safe disposal of hazardous fuels that could feed wildfires to conservation projects and improvements for the Hoover Dam visitor center and hiking trails around Nevada, projects funded by SNPLMA improve the quality of life for those who live in and visit the Silver State.
The full list of awards can be found here, and large projects are highlighted below:
- $34,640,296 for the Red Rock Canyon Legacy Trail bike path
- $50,686,549 for Hazardous fuels and Wildfire Prevention in NV and California, including throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin
- $19,834,600 for a Sloan Canyon Visitors Station
- $24,606,829 for the creation of the White Pine Heritage Park
- $10,168,421 for the Northern Nevada Railway in White Pine
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