The profit of these sales goes to fund the billionaire tax breaks at the federal level, not to the state.
NEVADA – New analysis of Rep. Mark Amodei’s (R-Nevada) 11th-hour, back-door amendment to the federal budget reconciliation package shows that more than half a million acres of Nevada’s public lands are on the chopping block.
Amodei joined Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) to pass the amendment without input from conservationists, tribes, or his fellow federal delegation members on May 6. The first version of the bill did not mention any land sell-off provisions.
“This is far more egregious than originally presented; the entirety of this amendment from when it was introduced to how it was introduced was deceptive and a betrayal to Nevadans,” said Kristee Watson, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League. “Half a million acres of public land could be handed over to out-of-state developers and billionaires, erasing decades of hard work from everyday Nevadans, Tribes, conservationists, local governments, and outdoor advocates to protect access to these lands. This is a sellout of the public trust, plain and simple.”
The changes would require the Interior Department to identify and sell off large swathes of land in counties that include Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, and the 25,000-person town of Fernley, according to reporting by Public Domain.
The eleventh-hour amendment now threatens to undercut Nevada’s outdoor recreation economy, these public lands contributing $8.1 billion to our state, or about 3.3% of our state’s GDP.
Without citing who will benefit and what we will lose, Amodei says this amendment will benefit the economy — but make no mistake, these land sales hurt Nevada’s economy, going back to the federal government to give tax breaks to billionaires and enrich out-of-state developers.
“This amendment flies in the face of what Nevadans and Westerners want,” Watson said. “Less than a quarter of voters support selling national public lands for housing development, and Nevadans overwhelmingly believe public lands should stay in public hands. This is a betrayal of our Western way of life and the will of the people.”
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The Nevada Conservation League is the independent voice of Nevada’s conservation community. NCL works to maintain and enhance the natural character of Nevada and the quality of life for Nevadans through effective advocacy, the election of pro-conservation candidates, and building collaboration.