Northern Nevada land bill couples development, scenic wilderness
WASHINGTON — A Nevada bill submitted to Congress on Thursday would realign federal lands in Douglas County, opening some for development while creating a 12,330-acre scenic wilderness.
The measure would designate the Burbank Canyons Wilderness in the Pine Nut Mountains northwest of Wellington. The area of three deep scenic canyons is prized by conservationists for an abundance of sagebrush, pinyon pine and juniper.
The bill also would make up to 10,000 acres of federal land in the county available to sell for development, with 85 percent of the profits set aside to acquire conservation easements on environmentally sensitive land, 10 percent going to Douglas County for its open space plan and 5 percent to Nevada for education.
Another 67 acres would be given to the state of Nevada to add to Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, while 1,000 acres would be put into trust for the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada.
Douglas County is just south of Carson City.
The bill was introduced by Sens. Dean Heller, R-Nev., and Harry Reid, D-Nev., and by Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev. It continues a pattern among recent Nevada land bills that create opportunities for development while at the same time setting aside parcels for conservation or wilderness protection.
“This legislation is the result of a bottom-up approach, directed by the people of Douglas County, who should be commended for balancing the economic, cultural and conservation issues inherent to lands bills in Nevada,” Amodei said.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Find him on Twitter: @STetreaultDC.
