Public land sales in Las Vegas earmark $375M for conservation efforts

Selling public land in and around Las Vegas has long been a boon to conservation efforts in the Silver State.

In the latest round of funding announced Tuesday, the Biden administration said $375 million will go toward a wide range of projects to better maintain the environment in Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area.

“It’s exciting that this round has been announced, and we’re looking forward to getting these projects off the ground,” Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., said in an interview.

The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, or SNPLMA, was signed into law in 1998, allowing the Bureau of Land Management to sell parcels of public land near Las Vegas to fund different programs across Nevada.

About 5 percent goes to the State of Nevada General Education Fund, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the rest goes to the U.S. Interior Department for efforts such as park and trail maintenance, wildfire reduction and Lake Tahoe restoration, according to the BLM.

“Since 1998, public land sales in the Las Vegas Valley have fueled projects that benefit communities and elevate quality of life for residents and visitors,” said Laura Daniel-Davis, acting deputy Interior secretary, in a statement.

Changes to Mountain’s Edge and Red Rock

There are 36 projects that will now have financial backing from the Interior Department, according to a news release. Fourteen projects related to park, trail and natural areas will be awarded more than $235 million, and nearly $26 million will go toward reducing wildfire fuels across Nevada.

Lee, who sits on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee, said two projects she’s thrilled to see have financial backing are improvements to Mountain’s Edge Regional Park and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Both are pending final federal approval, she said.

Mountain’s Edge will see a pickleball court, soccer complex and botanical garden, while Red Rock improvements include increased Wi-Fi connectivity — something Lee said she’s seen a need for firsthand when trying to get ahold of her children at Red Rock after dark.

To Lee, this latest round of funding is indicative of investments the Biden-Harris administration is making into natural resource conservation, she said.

“This is the administration that made sure that we announced this round,” Lee said. “They have made it a priority to bring these projects online.”

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.