Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act
The Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act is a comprehensive land management bill that aims to (1) consolidate Pershing County’s checkerboard federal and private land pattern by allowing sale or exchange of eligible lands and by transferring encumbered lands to qualified private entities, (2) designate and administer a substantial set of new wilderness areas in Pershing County with specific management and wildlife provisions, and (3) transfer a small parcel of land to the Lovelock Paiute Tribe to be held in trust, with gaming restrictions. The bill envisions using proceeds from land sales to benefit the state and county and to fund further land acquisition and management within Pershing County. It also addresses Native American cultural uses and clarifies how wilderness designations interact with existing water rights and gaming laws. Overall, the act seeks to promote conservation while enabling targeted development and tribal trust land handling in the county. Key elements include a mandatory joint sale or exchange process for eligible “checkerboard” lands, a parallel process to convey encumbered lands to qualified private entities, a dedicated special account for Pershing County with specific uses, and the addition of several new wilderness areas with management provisions and protections against new federal water resource facilities. A 10-acre parcel would be taken into trust for the Lovelock Paiute Tribe, with strict gaming prohibitions for that parcel.
Key Points
- 1Checkerboard Lands Resolution: Authorizes the Secretary, after joint action with Pershing County, to sell or exchange eligible checkerboard lands (land within a defined map area that is interspersed public and private ownership) and to use mass appraisals to set values; requires fair market value and a competitive bidding process; includes procedures for equal-value exchanges and prioritization of high-value natural areas; establishes deadlines and withdrawal from various land-entry laws during the process.
- 2Encumbered Land Conveyance to Qualified Entities: Allows conveyance of encumbered lands (those with mining claims, millsites, or tunnel sites) to qualified entities at fair market value, with the entity paying conveyance costs; ensures, upon transfer, the entity receives fee simple title (full ownership) and that any existing surface/mineral rights held by the entity merge with the deed as applicable.
- 3Proceeds Disposition and Pershing County Special Account: Proceeds from land sales are split with 5% to Nevada’s general education program, 10% to Pershing County, and the remainder deposited into a Pershing County Special Account for:
- 4- acquiring land within the wilderness area or other environmentally significant lands,
- 5- improving Federal land management in the Checkerboard Lands Resolution Area, and
- 6- reimbursing Secretary costs associated with the sale/exchange.
- 7Title II Wilderness Additions and Provisions: Designates several areas as wilderness (Cain Mountain addition, Bluewing, Selenite Peak, Mount Limbo, North Sahwave, Grandfathers, Fencemaker) and sets boundaries, administration rules, grazing allowances, study-area releases, and permitting for wildlife management and related activities. It also restricts new water resource facilities within wilderness areas (with specific definitions and protections) and allows limited, carefully managed uses such as temporary communications devices and wildlife water projects under strict conditions.
- 8Tribal Trust Land Transfer: Transfers approximately 10 acres of land in Pershing County to be held in trust for the Lovelock Paiute Tribe, with a survey and map establishing the boundaries; gaming on the land is prohibited (Class II and Class III gaming).