Land sales net $135 million for projects
Government land sales in the Las Vegas Valley generated another $135 million in funds for public land projects from Lake Mohave to Lake Tahoe, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday.
They made the announcement at Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mohave in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 14 miles east of Searchlight.
But money from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 will be distributed around the state.
"They are important places to refuel our spirits," Salazar said of the targeted destinations.
Highlights include:
• $27 million for Lake Tahoe restoration projects.
• $16 million for the Wetlands Park project in Clark County.
• $13 million to acquire environmentally sensitive land.
• $11 million for wildfire prevention and fuel reduction projects.
• $1.8 million for interpretive and safety enhancements at Hoover Dam.
• $1.7 million to investigate and interpret Anasazi ruins on the Virgin River near Mesquite.
• $2.9 million to improve campgrounds at Great Basin National Park.
The program has generated $3 billion since its inception.
Reid said it may be a while before more money comes in as the dismal real estate market means less incentive for the government to sell off land.
Of the original 74,000 acres included in the plan, 26,934 remain to be sold.
"There is a lot more money coming in the future, but I hope that we aren't going to have any large sales until the real estate market starts going up," he said.
Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.
