Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025
The Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025 would authorize a broad package of federal land transfers, sales, and public-use arrangements in northern Nevada. Its central aim is to facilitate economic development and local conservation by moving ownership of select Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands to Nevada state and local governments, the Washoe Tribe, or through structured sales. The bill also designates a large tract as wilderness (Burbank Canyons Wilderness) and creates various open-space, recreation, and flood-control provisions to guide how transferred lands may be used. In parallel, the act provides for tribal land held in trust for the Washoe Tribe, and authorizes certain special-use arrangements and forest-service land transfers to support public purposes. Overall, the bill seeks to balance development with conservation, recreation, and tribal interests, while creating new funding paths for related activities. Key funding and administrative mechanics include: (a) conveyances and sales with specified land descriptions and uses, (b) environmental disclosure requirements and limited remediation obligations, (c) reversion protections if lands are used contrary to the listed purposes, (d) distribution of sale proceeds to state and county governments and a dedicated Douglas County Special Account, and (e) designated wilderness and open-space designations with specific management rules. The act would involve multiple federal agencies (primarily the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management) and a range of Nevada counties and tribal authorities, with numerous conditions related to planning, zoning, and public involvement.
Key Points
- 1Land conveyances to the State of Nevada and Douglas County in Douglas County, including a 67-acre Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park parcel to the state and a roughly 7,777-acre parcel to Douglas County for flood control, recreation, and other public purposes; conveyances include use restrictions, cost-shifting for surveys and environmental work, and reversion if uses diverge from authorized purposes.
- 2Large-scale land sales and exchanges, including sale of about 31.5 acres identified as Lands for Disposal and up to 10,000 acres in the county identified for disposal, to be selected jointly by the Secretary and local government; sales would be at not less than fair market value, with proceeds split among the state, the county, and a dedicated Douglas County Special Account for costs, open-space purchases, and flood control.
- 3Open Space Recreation Area: conveyance of about 1,084 acres to the county for recreation and open-space purposes, with restrictions on disposal and requirements for surveys, costs, and easements; a mechanism to ensure land is used for public recreation rather than private development.
- 4Transfer of land to be held in trust for the Washoe Tribe: about 2,669 acres (plus land identified as “Section 5 lands”) would be transferred to the Department of the Interior to be held in trust for the Washoe Tribe, with limits on gaming and opportunities for landscape restoration and habitat work in coordination with the Tribe and the Bureau of Land Management.
- 5Wilderness designation: designation of approximately 12,392 acres as the Burbank Canyons Wilderness, with administration under the Wilderness Act, a minimum 100-foot road-side boundary buffer, withdrawal from most land laws, and specific rules on water rights and wildlife/habitat management, including restrictions on new water resource facilities within the wilderness area.