Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]
Introduced
Summary
Large-scale land transfers and conservation redesignations in southern Nevada. This bill would move tens of thousands of acres into tribal trust, expand conservation and wilderness areas, create Special Management Areas, authorize local land conveyances, and change mitigation and recreation rules for Clark County and nearby cities.
Show full summary
- Tribes and tribal communities: Would transfer about 45,000 acres into trust for the Moapa Band and additional parcels for the Las Vegas Paiute and tribal fee land. Land taken into trust would be ineligible for Class II and Class III gaming, reserve electric transmission corridor rights-of-way for Tribal benefit, and leave federal reserved water rights neither affirmed nor denied while preserving state water rights.
- Local governments and counties: Would convey parcels to Boulder City, Mesquite, Clark County, and water districts for public safety, watershed, and infrastructure uses and create a roughly 350-acre Job Creation Zone for Clark County. Conveyances include reversion and remediation responsibilities and set a 180-day priority review for affordable housing under SNPLMA rules.
- Conservation, recreation, and development: Would expand the Red Rock Canyon boundary to about 254,000 acres, add multiple Special Management Areas and new wilderness units, and restrict motorized travel to designated routes. It would also extend Clark County’s Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and allow about 359,000 acres of SMAs to be credited as mitigation for additional development covered by the plan.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
New conservation, wilderness and recreation areas
If enacted, the bill would create many Special Management Areas (SMAs) in Clark County and allow about 358,954 conserved acres to count as mitigation credits for the Clark County habitat plan. It would add large new wilderness areas (for example, about 1,276,246 acres for the Southern Paiute area) and establish four off‑highway vehicle recreation areas with management plans due in two years. SMAs and wilderness lands would be withdrawn from many mining and leasing laws and would limit motorized use to designated routes.
Nevada Cancer Institute successor rights
If enacted, the bill would allow successors in interest to be treated as beneficiaries under the Nevada Cancer Institute land conveyance. This would let an entity that succeeds the original recipient keep the rights granted by that conveyance.
Tribal reservation land transfers
If enacted, the bill would take about 44,950 acres into trust for the Moapa Band of Paiutes and about 3,156 acres for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. The Secretary would have to finish boundary surveys (the 44,950‑acre survey within 60 days; other surveys within 180 days). The transfers would reserve electric transmission corridors, require a 300‑foot transmission right‑of‑way for the Las Vegas Paiute within 30 days, preserve State water rights, and make the new trust lands ineligible for Class II or III gaming.
Water pipeline and flood projects
If enacted, the Secretary would have to grant rights‑of‑way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority within one year for pipelines, power lines, facilities, and access roads, and the Authority could excavate tunneling materials with an MOU. The bill would also direct completion of six erosion‑control weirs on the Lower Las Vegas Wash within eight years if appropriations allow and authorize Lower Virgin River watershed planning. It would let certain surface‑estate owners move common sand and gravel for site work and require the Secretary to offer an R&PP agreement to Clark County within 180 days for safety and water management work.
Priority land sales for affordable housing
If enacted, the bill would amend the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act to add Tule Springs for SNPLMA distributions, set the disposal deadline to November 14, 2024, and allow the Secretary and Clark County to nominate up to 25,000 acres for disposal. The bill would require priority review and a 180‑day review deadline for local government applications to use land for affordable housing.
Red Rock and Sloan area rules
If enacted, the bill would update and expand park boundaries and maps. It would set the Red Rock Canyon area at about 253,950 acres and expand Sloan Canyon to about 57,728 acres. The bill would also let Red Rock be run by public‑private partners and allow uses that charge admission or user fees.
Moapa water district land conveyance
If enacted, about 121 acres of Federal land would be conveyed to the Moapa Valley Water District to build and operate water conveyance infrastructure. Parcels that benefit the Tribe could be conveyed as rights‑of‑way. The District must pay survey and conveyance costs, and land could revert to the United States if it stops being used; the District would have to clean up hazardous contamination if reversion occurs.
City land transfers and job zone
If enacted, the bill would convey multiple Federal parcels to local governments for public uses and development. Examples: about 250 acres to Mesquite for watershed work; several parcels to Clark County for police, fire, and public safety; about 350 acres as a Clark County Job Creation Zone (nonresidential sales at fair market value, with proceeds to SNPLMA and 30‑year reversion rules); 10 acres to North Las Vegas for fire training; and defined transition area rules for Henderson. Grantees must pay survey and conveyance costs and could be responsible for cleanup if land reverts.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]
NV • D
Cosponsors
Amodei (NV)
NV • R
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4]
NV • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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