Nye County presents multi-decade lands bill to win SNPLMA access and land for development
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Summary
Nye County staff outlined a long-term federal lands bill to secure acreage for economic development, infrastructure and conservation and to make the county eligible for Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act funds. BLM discussed how SNPLMA proceeds and rounds work and public comment focused on site selection and protections.
Megan Labadie, Nye County’s Natural Resources and Federal Facilities director, told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 18 that the county’s draft “Lands Bill” aims to secure federal lands for public safety, infrastructure, conservation and steady economic growth. The bill would nominate parcels for congressional disposal or re-designation and pursue inclusion in the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), which would make Nye County eligible to request special-treasury funds for parks, trails, affordable housing and other projects.
“This bill reflects nearly 30 years of county effort,” Labadie said in a presentation that included acreage breakdowns and safeguards. She said the draft requests roughly 40,000 acres for economic development (about 80% in Tonopah), 11,000 acres for public-purpose and infrastructure uses, and more than 650,000 acres proposed for conservation or wilderness designations. Labadie emphasized protections for valid existing rights, phased county-guided development over decades, and joint selection of parcel footprints with BLM.
A BLM special-legislation program manager, Ron Mobley, joined the meeting to explain SNPLMA mechanics and how proceeds from land sales are distributed from a special Treasury account. Mobley said the act authorizes land disposals and places revenue in an interest-bearing account; the secretary of the interior selects projects for funding following a nomination, subgroup review, public comment and executive-committee recommendation. He described typical public comment windows (often 45 days) and said partners seek steady rounds of funding, ideally with at least $100 million per round.
Public commenters and several commissioners welcomed the outreach but asked for maps, detailed acreage lists and firm limits on water use. Labadie said slide materials, maps and acreage tables would be posted on the county website following the presentation and that the county has begun working with Rep. Horsford and legislative aides for a technical draft.
Next steps Labadie outlined include drafting by the legislative counsel, introduction in Congress, committee review and a multi-year process through both chambers. If enacted, the bill would also position Nye County to request SNPLMA funding and create a disposal-sale proceeds account that could be deployed for local infrastructure and recreation projects.
The presentation did not request an immediate vote; commissioners thanked staff and BLM and directed follow-up outreach material be made publicly available.
