FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2001

NEWS RELEASE

Date: Time: Place:

September 28, 2001 9:30 a.m. Grant Sawyer State Office Building Room 4412 555 East Washington Avenue Las Vegas, Nevada

Contact:

Linda Eissmann, Committee Staff Director Legislative Committee on Public Lands Carson City, Nevada 89701-4747 (775) 684-6825

PUBLIC LANDS COMMITTEE TO MEET IN LAS VEGAS

Senator Dean A. Rhoads (R-Tuscarora) is pleased to announce that Nevada’s Legislative Committee on Public Lands will hold its first meeting of the 2001-2202 Legislative Interim at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas on Friday, September 28, at 9:30 a.m. An agenda is attached to this news release.

Senator Rhoads explained that the meeting would begin with an overview of upcoming Committee activities and a review of legislation considered by the 2001 Nevada Legislature and the 107^th Congress. The Committee will then receive several briefings, including a review of public lands issues in Clark County, an update of U.S. Forest Service activities in Nevada, and an overview of the 2001 fire season and fire activity in Nevada.

“Public lands issues are as important in Clark County as anywhere else in Nevada,” noted Rhoads. “The Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, the auction of public land, and the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands in and around the Las Vegas Valley are prime examples.” Additionally, management of the county’s natural resources, the Clark County wilderness package, invasive species, and recent changes to local air quality programs, will likely be discussed.

Also on the agenda is a status report on the development of Nevada’s Natural Resources Plan by the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The plan focuses on the current condition of Nevada’s natural resources, followed by an assessment about how growth-related issues impact environmental quality and resource consumption. “Nevada’s natural resources are among the many reasons people are drawn to our State,” explained Rhoads. “But as our State grows, so do the demands placed on these resources and our need to manage them wisely.”

Another topic to be addressed at the committee meeting is the recent stockwater case, decided by the Nevada Supreme Court in July. Rhoads explained, “The stockwater case is very important because it is essentially a debate about Nevada’s control and management of its water resources, and whether the Federal Government is eligible to obtain water rights on public lands.” The State Engineer denied the Bureau of Land Management’s application for livestock watering permits in Douglas County, arguing that the government was not eligible to obtain such rights. Joint ownership between the BLM and the livestock owner is preferred by the State. “Ownership of water rights by the Federal Government could interfere with the State Engineer’s ability to effectively manage Nevada’s water, and give the Federal Government substantial control over our water resources,” Rhoads added. On the other hand, the Federal Government has argued that exclusive private ownership of water rights on federal rangelands could prevent federal agencies from carrying out their management objectives. Private water rights might also impede exchanges, sales, or other uses of the public lands. The Nevada Supreme Court decided in July that the Federal Government is eligible to obtain water rights for livestock watering.

Finally, the Committee will discuss the status of federal mining regulations, commonly referred to as the “3809 Mining Regulations.” Topics expected to be addressed in this segment include the impacts of these regulations to Nevada’s mining operations, the status of metals prices, and the effects the federal proposals may have on existing State mining policies and regulations.

The Public Lands Committee was created in 1983 as a permanent Committee of the Nevada Legislature. The purposes of the Committee are to review and comment on federal land management policies and practices, and to provide a forum for the discussion of public lands matters. The Federal Government manages almost 87 percent of the land in Nevada.

The other members of the Public Lands Committee are Senator Terry Care (D‑Las Vegas); Senator Mark A. James (R‑Las Vegas); Assemblyman Tom Collins (D‑Las Vegas); Assemblyman John W. Marvel (R-Battle Mountain); Assemblyman P. M. “Roy” Neighbors (D‑Tonopah); and Eureka County Commissioner Peter Goicoechea.