Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act

This proposed law focuses on southern Nevada. It aims to protect large desert areas, add new wilderness, manage off‑road recreation, and let local governments use certain federal lands for public safety, water, and parks. It also adds land to two Tribal reservations and sets rules to balance growth with wildlife and open space needs, all in the name of conservation and economic development in Nevada.

Key points

• Tribal lands: Adds about 44,950 acres to the Moapa Band of Paiutes’ reservation; casinos are not allowed on this land, and state water rights are kept. A boundary survey is due within 60 days. Adds about 3,156 acres to the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe’s reservation, requires a 300‑foot utility right‑of‑way for renewable energy transmission, bans casino gaming there too, and calls for a survey within 180 days.
• Protected habitat: Creates multiple Special Management Areas in Clark County, revokes parts of the Ivanpah ACEC not included in those areas, limits new roads and motorized use, and withdraws these lands from new mining or leasing; a management plan will guide long‑term protection. These conserved lands (about 358,954 acres) can count toward the county’s species protection plan and extend its federal permit .
• Off‑road riding: Establishes off‑highway vehicle recreation areas at Laughlin, Logandale, Nelson Hills, and Sandy Valley, with riders limited to designated roads and trails. Detailed management plans are due within 2 years .
• Local needs: Conveys federal land to Mesquite to protect the Virgin River watershed; to North Las Vegas for a fire/public safety training facility; and to Clark County for wildfire response and public safety complexes near Mount Charleston. It also lets the Moapa Valley Water District build and maintain critical water pipelines to serve Logandale, Overton, Glendale, and Moapa .
• Jobs and development: Sets aside about 350 acres in Sloan as a Job Creation Zone for nonresidential uses or public recreation; sales must be at fair market value, and parcels can revert to the U.S. if not used as intended .
• Affordable housing: Speeds up federal review when local governments seek to use land for affordable housing, with a 180‑day review timeline.
• More wilderness: Adds new wilderness areas, including Mount Stirling, Lucy Gray, Gates of the Grand Canyon, and a large Southern Paiute Wilderness, expanding long‑term protections for wild lands.
• Infrastructure and safety: Directs completion of erosion‑control weirs on the Lower Las Vegas Wash within 8 years, allows flood‑control projects in a desert tortoise area, and keeps Nevada’s authority over fish and wildlife management on federal land.