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Public lands bill passes Congress with bipartisan support

March 1, 2019

A bipartisan public lands bill that preserves 1.3 million acres of wilderness passed the House this week with unanimous support from Nevada representatives. The measure passed the Senate earlier this month, and the president is expected to sign it.

The Natural Resources Management Act permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In Nevada the fund has invested $60 million to upgrade the Lake Tahoe Basin, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Valley of Fire State Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Red Rock National Conservation Area. Another $40 million in state assistance grants from the LWCF have benefitted Sunset Park and the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas.

The bill also expands Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve, according to a House Natural Resources backgrounder.

In all, the bill includes more than 100 land and water conservation measures nationwide.

"The passage of this bipartisan bill is a big win for our public lands, for Nevada, and for the economy," In Rep. Susie Lee's office said in a statement.

The bill is a boon to Nevada's outdoor industry, which generates $12.6 billion a year for the state economy and provides some 87,000 jobs, according to Outdoor Nevada, a non-profit dedicated to promoting recreation throughout the state.

The lone Republican member of the Nevada delegation, Rep. Mark Amodei, joined his Democratic colleagues in supporting the measure.