Land bill focuses on north

CARSON CITY -- The government would transfer thousands of acres of federal land to Carson City for open space and recreation and permanently would withdraw another 20,000 acres of federal land near the city from development if federal legislation is approved.

The bill introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., is patterned after land management acts that Congress approved in 1998 for Clark County, in 2004 for Lincoln County and in 2007 for White Pine County.

The latest legislation is intended to help keep growth compact, increase open space opportunities, strengthen flood control measures and maintain easy access to public lands.

The public worked with city and federal officials on the Carson City Vital Community Act of 2008 for more than four years.

"I think it's a great thing for the city that these surrounding public lands are being permanently protected by this legislation, permanently protected from development," Carson City Planning Director Lee Plemel told the Nevada Appeal.

The legislation would give Carson City more than 5,000 acres of U.S. Bureau of Land Management land, including the 3,500-acre Silver Saddle Ranch, and about 1,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land for open space and recreation.

Nearly 20,000 acres of BLM land on the city's east side would be withdrawn from development to protect open space and public access.

The bill also calls for the city to transfer more than 2,200 acres of high-elevation, forested land to the Forest Service and for the city to get roughly 150 acres of federal land for economic development.

The measure would give the Washoe Tribe about 300 acres of federal land near the Carson and Stewart Colonies, with nearly half of it available for development.

"This bill is a shining example of how everyone can benefit from working together on public lands legislation," Reid said.

Ensign said the bill is in line with the city's master plan.