Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Natural Resources Management Act, bipartisan legislation that sets guidelines for the management and conservation of natural resources on federal lands. This package of public lands bills includes three bills that will help jumpstart economic development in Nevada, while continuing to preserve our public lands and natural resources.
“Nevada’s public lands and natural resources are vital to our communities and our economy. It’s imperative that the federal government works together with all stakeholders in the state to ensure that our lands are being used responsibly and that they are protected for future generations. I’m proud to have fought for permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which brings critical funding to the State of Nevada, as well as the inclusion of bills that prioritize conservation and help facilitate economic growth throughout the Silver State.”
BACKGROUND:
The bipartisan public lands package includes certain provisions from two Nevada lands bills sponsored by Senator Cortez Masto, as well as the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Senator Cortez Masto continues to be a fierce advocate for the LWCF program, and was a cosponsor of the Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act – legislation to permanently reauthorize the LWCF.
Permanent Reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund: Permanently reauthorizes funding for The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, which established one of America’s most successful conservation programs that supports the nation’s land, water, historic and recreational heritage.
Storey County Land Conveyance Act: Amends a previous lands bill that was passed in 2014, as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. This legislation enables the BLM to convey lands with disputed property titles over to Storey County in an efficient and expedient process.
Provisions from the Eastern Nevada Economic Development and Land Management Implementation Act: Finalizes two land patents for the benefit of desert tortoise habitat and a public/private land reconfiguration in the Coyote Springs development, allowing economic development in south-central Nevada. This also approves a conveyance of federal land to Lincoln County for landfill purposes.
Full text of the bill is available here.
###