Reid, Ensign propose rangeland bill

WASHINGTON -- Ranchers would be paid to conserve rangeland vulnerable to wildfires, under a bill Nevada senators introduced on Monday.

The bill authorizes "incentive payments" for landowners who carry out conservation practices on land susceptible to fire or land that already has been scorched.

Landowners who restore fire-damaged areas by reintroducing native vegetation also would qualify. Details on the potential payment amounts were not available Monday evening on the bill introduced by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.