Nye County outlines multi‑decade lands bill to secure private acreage and SNPLMA funding access
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Summary
County staff presented a status update on a proposed Nye County Conservation and Economic Development Act aimed at returning selected federal lands to county-guided uses for infrastructure, conservation and economic development; BLM described how SNPLMA funding rounds could fund parks and trails if the county is made eligible.
Megan Labadie, Nye County’s Natural Resources and Federal Facilities director, told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 18 that the county has spent roughly two decades preparing a congressional lands bill aimed at securing a limited set of federal lands for local needs.
“The purpose of the bill is just to secure a land base for public safety, infrastructure, conservation, and steady growth,” Labadie said in a prepared presentation. She told commissioners Nye County comprises about 11,600,000 acres, roughly 97% of which is federally managed, and that the proposed package seeks roughly 40,000 acres for economic development (80% of that request focused near Tonopah), 11,000 acres for public purpose and infrastructure, over 650,000 acres for conservation, and limited conveyances for housing and groundwater monitoring access.
The lands bill is intended to give the county greater flexibility for long‑term planning in areas where federal withdrawals, Department of Defense training ranges and other designations have constrained development. Labadie said the county has pursued administrative cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management but concluded a congressional vehicle is necessary for many of the requested changes. She said the next step is a technical draft from the House Legislative Counsel and anticipated a multi‑year process of committee hearings and floor votes.
Ron Mobley, special legislation program manager for the BLM Nevada state office, also briefed the board on the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), describing how proceeds from authorized land sales are deposited in a special Treasury account and can be used for eligible projects — including parks, trails and natural areas (PTNA). Mobley described the nomination and review process for SNPLMA rounds, the 45‑day public comment period typically used for nominations, and the role of federal partners and the Department of the Interior in final approvals.
“SNPLMA allows for a special funding account with the treasurer in which disposal land sale proceeds fund certain parks, trails and environmental projects,” Mobley said, summarizing how counties and eligible partners can nominate projects for funding.
Commissioners and the public emphasized local priorities, including access to groundwater monitoring, phased county‑guided development, and partnership on final parcel footprints with BLM. No formal vote was required on the presentation; Labadie said maps, acreages and supporting materials will be posted on the county website for public review.
What’s next: the county said it has transmitted the bill to its U.S. House representative to carry in Congress and will work with Senate staff on parallel introductions. The House Legislative Counsel is expected to prepare the technical draft before hearings begin.
