Turtlehead Peak in Nevada
Credit: Bob Wick/BLM
May 23, 2019 - WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced the commitment of more than $106.8 million to support 47 public lands projects throughout Nevada and the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin. These projects, which encompass a broad range of recreation improvements, wildlife habitat conservation, and hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention projects, will be funded through the sale of public lands under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA).
“Since 1998, sales of public land within the Las Vegas Valley have been funding projects that benefit communities and improve the overall quality of life for residents and visitors in the area,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “This program is a concrete example of the Department’s continued commitment to being a good neighbor through increased recreation opportunities and access, modernizing our infrastructure, and creating a legacy of conservation stewardship.”
The entities receiving funds in Round 17 include: the City of North Las Vegas, White Pine County, City of Las Vegas, Clark County, Lincoln County, City of Henderson, National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District.
Of note, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will use $4.45 million in SNPLMA funding to acquire an agricultural conservation easement on approximately 419 acres of the historic Van Sickle Station Ranch located near Genoa, Nevada. Acquisition of this easement will enable project partners to link a large unfragmented agricultural landscape that protects local wildlife, migratory bird habitat, natural floodplain functions, groundwater recharge, wetlands, riparian areas, and open space. The owner will donate two multi-use trail easements that provide the public with additional recreation opportunities.
Another example, the BLM will use just over $1.45 million in SNPLMA funding on a project that allows for the construction of between 40 and 65 miles of multi-use trails, additional trailheads, parking and ancillary facilities, new dispersed campgrounds/camping areas recreational trails, and support facilities in the Highland Range area of Lincoln County, Nevada. The project is a collaborative effort among the BLM and the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, the City of Caliente, the Nevada Division of State Parks, the America Conservation Experience, the Back Country Horsemen of America, The Wilderness Society, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, and regional and local proprietors.
Since the enactment of SNPLMA in 1998 the program has generated almost $3.6 billion for projects that benefit public places in Nevada, the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin and the portion of Lake Meade National Recreation Area in Arizona. Expenditures include: development of parks, trails and natural areas; capital improvements; conservation initiatives; multi-species habitat conservation plans; hazardous fuels reduction projects in the Spring Mountains and at Lake Tahoe; landscape restoration projects in eastern Nevada; and environmental restoration at Lake Tahoe. Additionally, 5 percent of the revenue generated under the Act goes to the State of Nevada General Education Fund and 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
The following is a list of funding approval by category for Round 17. More information about funding, including individual projects, please visit Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act website.
Source: DOI
