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Las Vegas Paiute tribe seeks transfer of thousands of acres into trust; subcommittee hears support
Summary
H.R. 6917, introduced by Rep. Dina Titus, would transfer roughly 3,150–3,200 acres of BLM land into trust for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. Tribal leaders highlighted cultural and economic reasons for the transfer and said the tribe has cooperative management agreements with BLM and energy partners.
Representative Dina Titus and Benny So, chairman of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, told the subcommittee that H.R. 6917 would return ancestral lands to tribal trust status, protect sacred sites and create opportunities for economic development adjacent to the Snow Mountain Reservation.
Titus described the legislation as ‘‘the culmination of over a decade of work’’ and said the land is spiritually and historically important to the tribe. The opening statement for the hearing described the measure as seeking to transfer 3,156 acres of Bureau of Land Management land into trust; witnesses and members used slightly different roundings during testimony: Titus referred to approximately 3,150 acres, and the tribal chairman described efforts to restore roughly 3,200 acres. These discrepancies were noted on the record and should be resolved in technical corrections to the bill.
Benny So said the lands are ‘‘much more than that’’ and described ancestral use, ceremonies and cultural sites that would be protected by trust status. He also detailed existing cooperative management agreements with BLM intended to preserve cultural assets and said the tribe has negotiated energy transmission and right‑of‑way arrangements that would support regional infrastructure projects. So told the committee the transfer would expand economic opportunities, create jobs for both tribal and non‑tribal residents and support partnerships with nearby military installations.
Members across the panel expressed support for returning land into trust while noting the need for technical corrections to ensure the bill’s modifications are limited to necessary statutory repeals. Ranking Member LeGer Fernandez and others asked the tribe and sponsors to provide clarifications about exact acreage and funding or staffing needs for implementation.
No formal action was taken at the hearing; the committee left the record open for ten business days and invited written follow‑up on technical corrections and implementation planning.
