WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the Department will commit more than $8.7 million for a variety of projects throughout Nevada, including recreational improvement, wildlife habitat conservation and environmental restoration, and hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention.
The funding is part of the latest round under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, legislation passed in 1998 that allows proceeds from sales of public land in Clark County, Nevada to fund a range of conservation, capital improvement and public improvement projects throughout the state.
“Today’s announcement is the latest chapter in a successful collaboration that is conserving Nevada’s natural beauty and unique landscapes and ensuring public lands will continue to enhance and support statewide growth and development,” Secretary Jewell said. “These funds will not only help restore and enhance these special areas for future generations, but also provide communities with greater wildfire protection, and generate jobs and vital resources for hard hit communities.”
The funding announced today includes more than $7.2 million for projects in the following categories:
- Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Wildfire Prevention – $1,646,902
- Parks, Trails & Natural Areas – $1,383,805
- Capital Improvements – $475,916
- Conservation Initiatives – $1,608,376
- Environmentally Sensitive Land Acquisitions – $381,350
- Eastern Nevada Landscape Restoration Project – $1,262,450
- Multi-Species Habitat Conservation (MSHCP) – $473,150
The Round 14 package also includes $1.5 million in a special account reserve for emergency or unexpected project expenditures.
Interior has shared more than $2.7 billion with Nevada from the sale of public lands in the Las Vegas Valley over the last 15 years. The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act allows the Bureau of Land Management to sell public land within a specific boundary around Las Vegas, Nevada. The revenue derived from land sales is split between the State of Nevada General Education Fund (5%), the Southern Nevada Water Authority (10%), and a special account available to the Secretary of the Interior for restoration, conservation, recreation and capital improvement projects.
More information on the Round 14 funding is online at http://www.blm.gov/snplma.
