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Public Lands: Treasure or Commodity?

The federal government has sold nearly $3 billion of federal land in the Las Vegas area under a law pushed through Congress nearly a decade ago by Nevada legislators. Reporter Jesse McKinley talks about some of the projects funded by the proceeds. (Related Article)

CATEGORY

Parks, Trails & Natural Areas

Environment & Conservation

Federal Parks & Infrastructure

Schools

Southern Nevada Water Authority
REPORTER JESSE McKINLEY ON THE PROJECTS
PROJECTS INCLUDE
Site of Craig Ranch Regional Park.
  • The 132-acre Craig Ranch Regional Park will be built in North Las Vegas, where there is now a golf course. $85 million.
Site where Clark County Shooting Park will be built.
  • A sport shooting park, in far northwest Las Vegas Valley, will feature 700 to 800 acres of indoor and outdoor gun and archery ranges, surrounded by 2,100 acres of natural land. $64 million.
Museum at the Springs Preserve.
  • Las Vegas Springs Preserve is a focal point of the city's cultural and natural history. Museums, exhibits and trails illustrate this history and preserve natural land. $49 million.
  • Federal land sale proceeds have helped pay for plans to ease the impact of development on endangered wildlife species. $53 million.
  • A portion of proceeds is budgeted for purchase of environmentally sensitive land in Nevada. So far, officials have bought more than 20,000 acres of ecologically valuable desert and upland property from private owners, protecting the land from future development. $346 million.
  • A variety of conservation initiatives have been funded, among them trash dump reclamation, abandoned mine closures, water use planning projects and organization of law enforcement resources to protect natural resources in the rapidly growing region. $181 million.
Red Spring Park.
  • Red Spring, a small but popular park west of Las Vegas, is home to a rare snail species. Federal money has paid for an elevated boardwalk, picnic tables and interpretive signs. $1.8 million.
Restrooms at Boulder Beach in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
  • The federally managed Lake Mead's average water level has dropped, exposing once-submerged portions of boat ramps. Land sale money will pay for repairing erosion damage, augmenting asphalt construction with concrete and, in some cases, for building new ramps. $52 million.
  • The popular Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area will undergo a major facelift, with a new administrative/visitor center, road and parking upgrades and improvements to wild horse and burro fencing. $29 million.
  • Officials have earmarked $150 million from federal land sales for state education. Interest from the fund has helped pay for teacher salaries, utility bills and textbooks. $11 million in interest in fiscal year 2006-2007.
Clark County School District buses at a staging and maintenance area. The facility is on land that the school district bought from the BLM at a discount.
  • The southern Nevada land program has also embraced the long-established practice of selling federal land to public bodies at heavy discounts. Among the beneficiaries has been the Clark County School District. 685 acres for $6,349.
  • The land program has set aside $300 million for the water authority. The money has helped the authority pay down debt from major capital improvements, including testing, transport and treatment facilities.
  • Authority officials say future uses of the land sale money could include work on a multi-billion dollar, 250-mile pipeline to bring water to Las Vegas from eastern Nevada.