LAS VEGAS (Nov. 20, 2024) – Yesterday, two Nevada bills championed by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Senator Jacky Rosen advanced out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Senator Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (S.4457) and Senator Rosen’s Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act (S.3593) protect biologically rich and culturally significant public lands while advancing key economic priorities for Clark and Washoe Counties.
Both the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (SNEDCA) and the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act (TMPLMA) advance much-needed land protection in Southern and Northern Nevada, preserving wildlife habitat, safeguarding access to public lands for outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing, protecting dark skies, and conveying lands of significance to Indigenous communities. The bills permanently protect public lands, preserve the quality of life, and address challenges Southern and Northern Nevadans are facing, including climate change, rapid growth, and lack of affordable housing.
Nevada groups released a collection of statements:
“In addition to being the largest conservation bills passed in the history of Nevada, SNEDCA and TMPLMA are pragmatic and responsible solutions that allow for sustainable growth in Nevada and the protection of our public lands. It protects public lands, including the habitat of endangered species like the Mojave Desert Tortoise, add tens of thousands of acres to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and expands the Moapa Band of Paiutes and the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Reservations. These bills accounts for ongoing population growth in our state while balancing the needs to protect the very things that make Nevada so special — it’s natural beauty and wildlife,” said Kristee Watson, the Executive Director for Nevada Conservation League. “NCL thanks our senators for championing this landmark legislation. ”
“We are grateful to our senators for their hard work with a wide range of stakeholders, solving issues the Nevada way, talking to each other and finding solutions,” said Shaaron Netherton, Friends of Nevada Wilderness Executive Director. “Nevadans care deeply about their public lands, and ensuring that some places are set aside for wildlife, recreation, and enjoyment for future generations is important to all of us. We are especially thankful for permanent protection for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.”
“Our state is experiencing unprecedented growth in northern and southern Nevada. These two pieces of legislation will provide the framework to accommodate our human population growth while conserving one of the main reasons people move to Nevada, our public lands and wildlife,” said Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation. “The Nevada Wildlife Federation thanks Senator Cortez Masto and Senator Rosen for bringing all stakeholders together to ensure future generations can experience the opportunities we enjoy today.”
“The Conservation Lands Foundation applauds Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen’s leadership in crafting legislation with community members and Tribal Nations that advance significant land solutions for the state,” said Jocelyn Torres, Conservation Lands Foundation’s Chief Conservation Officer based in Nevada. “The Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act and the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act protect wildlife habitat, access to outdoor recreation and Nevada’s unique landscapes, and convey lands of significant importance to Indigenous communities. We celebrate the proposed designation of five new National Conservation Areas, including the Massacre Rim Dark Sky, Smoke Creek, and the Pah Rah, and the expansion of Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Areas. We are committed to supporting Nevada’s Senators in passing these two community-focused bills through Congress.”
FOR MEDIA PURPOSES ONLY: Photos of Washoe conservation areas.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Friends of Nevada Wilderness: Shaaron Netherton, Executive Director, (775) 750-6119, shaaron@nevadawilderness.org
Nevada Conservation League: Camalot Todd, Communications Director, (702)-576-7247 camalot@
Nevada Wildlife Federation: Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director, 775-399-0888 Kuhlman@nvwf.org
Conservation Lands Foundation: Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer, (702) 767-2089, jocelyn@conservationlands.org
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