Issue Position: Public Lands

Issue Position

Nevadans must have a seat at the table

A significant issue for Nevadans, which dovetails with economic growth, is public land management. I believe that it is possible to leverage our natural resources in an economically and environmentally responsible way.

As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, I am advancing land bills for a third of the counties in Nevada to strengthen local control over the federal lands, which compromise more than 85% of the state. I think that local communities should be able to decide for themselves the best uses for public lands to spur economic growth.

In the coming year, I'll work on a bill to facilitate public land disposal around communities such as Yerington for the purposes of economic development, job creation and public access.

I'll continue to work with the support of my western colleagues to pass legislation to help Nevada leverage its vast public lands, while preserving our unique landscape and way of life. In these efforts, I am always cognizant of the importance of water rights and multi-use access.

I'm also pleased to have introduced two pieces of legislation that re-affirm the importance of sovereignty for Nevadans in public land designations and I look forward to pushing those bills.

Common sense federal solutions to our public land designations are possible, but local communities must have a seat at the table to overcome the "Washington knows best" mentality that routinely ignores the best interests of local stakeholders.

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