Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced her Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. The bipartisan legislation will protect over 2 million acres of public land for conservation and recreation while providing locally-selected tracts of federal land to allow Clark County to grow responsibly, build more housing for hardworking Nevada families, and support economic development across the region. Last year, Cortez Masto’s bill passed through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support. Representative Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) is introducing companion legislation, cosponsored by Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02), in the House of Representatives.
“For years, I have worked with community leaders across Clark County to create this legislation,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “As more and more people call Las Vegas home, we need to find a solution that promotes responsible economic development, builds more homes families can afford, and protects our environment and outdoor recreation. This much-needed bill is that commonsense solution and I’m going to continue working get it done.”
“We know that to address Vegas’ housing crisis, we need to be able to build more homes, while also protecting our iconic public lands and water supply, advancing outdoor recreation, and supporting our Tribal communities,” said Representative Lee. “This Clark County lands bill — led by Senator Cortez Masto in the Senate and me in the House — does exactly that and more to responsibly grow the county’s economy and safeguard our natural treasures.“
“Southern Nevada’s continued economic diversification depends on the release of additional public lands. This bill is an important step forward in ensuring the sustainable growth of our region while preserving the natural resources that make Clark County a unique and vibrant place to live and work. LVGEA remains committed to advancing the Clark County lands bill and appreciates the continued leadership of Senator Cortez Masto and Congresswoman Susie Lee in reintroducing this critical legislation,” said Betsy Fretwell, Interim CEO of Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.
“The Nevada Housing Coalition supports Senator Cortez Masto’s efforts to balance conservation and economic development in Southern Nevada through the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. This legislation represents an important step toward unlocking additional land for much-needed housing development while ensuring that sustainability and environmental stewardship remain priorities. Expanding access to land for residential development, particularly with provisions that prioritize affordable housing, is critical to addressing Nevada’s housing crisis. We look forward to collaborating with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that this bill translates into real housing opportunities for Nevadans,” said Maurice Page, Executive Director of the Nevada Housing Coalition.
“The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association commends Sen. Cortez Masto for her ongoing advocacy in promoting the release of additional federal lands for development. This legislation is a vital step toward addressing housing attainability challenges, which are closely tied to limited land availability — a key factor driving up land costs and, in turn, housing prices. While we hope to see Congress ultimately allocate more land for housing development, we strongly support Sen. Cortez Masto’s legislation as a critical move to secure more land for the State of Nevada,” said Tina M. Frias, CEO of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association CEO.
“Nevadans LOVE their public lands. They’re not just places on a map, they’re the soul of our state and nation, the playgrounds of our families, and the economic backbone of our communities. We thank Senator Cortez Masto and Congresswoman Susie Lee for continuing to stand up and protect what Nevadans hold dear. This bill strikes the right balance and permanently protects key areas within the Desert National Wildlife Refuge and expands protections for Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Areas. Senator Cortez Masto and Congresswoman Lee continue to fight for the American people, for our health, and for the very essence of what makes this country great and we will be behind them all the way to get this bill passed,” said Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer at the Conservation Lands Foundation.
This legislation will allow Clark County to develop up to 25,000 acres over the next 50 years, while preserving over 2 million acres of land for conservation and outdoor recreation. It was crafted with input from conservationists, city and county officials, business leaders, Tribal leaders, and wildlife and recreation interests.
The Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act:
- Prioritizes the use of federal land for conservation, recreation, and other public purposes
- This text sets aside over 2 million acres of federally-owned land in Clark County for habitat conservation, outdoor recreation, and cultural and landscape preservation.
- Specifically, it includes a 56,000-acre expansion of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a 9,290-acre expansion of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, full wilderness designations to nearly 1.3 million acres of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, and 324,048 additional acres of wilderness in Clark County.
- This text also identifies nearly 359,000 additional acres for wildlife habitat preservation as requested by Clark County and reserves over 117,600 acres for 4 designated off-highway vehicle recreation areas.
- Encourages affordable housing development
- This bill would allow for the development of more affordable housing, and would make it easier for local governments to reserve federal land, build more housing supply, and partner with affordable housing developers.
- Allows Clark County’s economy to grow while protecting our natural resources
- The bill allows Clark County to develop up to 25,000 acres for affordable housing and business growth over the next 50 years.
- Combats climate change
- This text provides Clark County with the long-term planning mechanisms to implement sustainable growth, environmental mitigation, efficient water use, and clean energy development.
- Promotes Tribal Self-Governance and Economic Opportunities
- This text fosters greater tribal self-governance and helps enable traditional and cultural uses of regional tribal land through the inclusion of 45,146 acres held in trust for the Moapa Band of Paiutes and 3,156 acres for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has worked across the board to strengthen and diversify Nevada’s economy and create new jobs. She has pushed vital legislation to help create thousands of new jobs in Las Vegas at the Apex Industrial Park and to protect the water supply for more than one million Nevadans through the Horizon Lateral Pipeline. She’s also fought to pass legislation to upgrade American infrastructure, support Nevada’s manufacturing industry, and invest in Nevada’s booming clean-energy economy. She’s delivered $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River and secured $450 million to fund large-scale water recycling projects in the West, including one that will provide water for more than 500,000 households in Southern Nevada and California.
###