Senate Joint Resolution No. 10–Committee on
Natural Resources

 

May 16, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Natural Resources

 

SUMMARY—Expresses support for plan to consolidate certain public and private lands in Pershing County and urges Nevada Congressional Delegation to introduce and support legislation providing for such consolidation of lands in Pershing County. (BDR R‑1323)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                   Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Senate Joint RESOLUTION—Expressing support for the plan to consolidate certain public and private lands in Pershing County and urging the members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation to introduce and support legislation providing for such consolidation of lands in Pershing County.

 

    Whereas, The Federal Government granted approximately 5 million acres of public land in northern Nevada to the Central Pacific Railroad Company in the 1860s as part of the incentives offered to railroad companies for building the first transcontinental railroad; and

    Whereas, As a result of that grant of land, which consisted of every other square mile of property extending 20 miles on each side of the railroad, land ownership across northern Nevada in the vicinity of Interstate Highway No. 80, particularly in Pershing County, appears as a checkerboard pattern of public and private land; and

    Whereas, This ownership pattern of public and private land in Nevada negatively impacts the management of public lands and the development of private lands in counties that have an extensive

amount of land with such an ownership pattern within their boundaries, including Pershing County; and

    Whereas, The management of rangeland fires, noxious weeds, wildlife, livestock, water resources and drought conditions and other issues faced by the Bureau of Land Management as a federal agency that manages the public lands and by ranchers who lease the private lands or hold permits on the public lands are greatly complicated by the checkerboard pattern of land; and

    Whereas, The consolidation of the public and private lands located within the checkerboard pattern into larger parcels of public and private lands would improve the management of public lands through enhanced protection of natural resources and would increase the development of private lands which in turn would encourage economic and community development; and

    Whereas, The Nevada Land and Resource Company, as a successor in interest to the Central Pacific Railroad Company, owns in excess of 300,000 acres of the private land that is located within the portion of the checkerboard pattern of public and private lands in Pershing County; and

    Whereas, Representatives of Pershing County, the Nevada Land and Resource Company, and the Bureau of Land Management are collaborating to develop a plan for the consolidation of certain public and private lands located within the portion of the checkerboard pattern in Pershing County, and to ensure that the plan complies with existing local master plans and expands the ad valorem tax base in Pershing County; and

    Whereas, The Board of County Commissioners of Pershing County has passed Resolution No. 030301 in support of these efforts by representatives of Pershing County, the Nevada Land and Resource Company, and the Bureau of Land Management; and

    Whereas, Federal legislation is necessary for the interested parties to implement the plan to consolidate the public and private lands located within the checkerboard pattern in Pershing County; now, therefore, be it

1-1  Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Nevada, Jointly, That the members of the 72nd Session of the

1-2  Nevada Legislature hereby express their support for the concept of

1-3  consolidation of certain public and private lands in Pershing County

1-4  in accordance with the plan developed by representatives of

1-5  Pershing County, the Nevada Land and Resource Company, and the

1-6  Bureau of Land Management; and be it further

1-7  Resolved, That the members of the 72nd Session of the

1-8  Nevada Legislature hereby urge that all aspects of the development

1-9  and formalization of a final plan for the consolidation of certain

1-10  public and private lands in Pershing County comply with all

2-1  applicable federal laws and regulations governing the environment,

2-2  including, without limitation, the National Environmental Policy

2-3  Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321 et seq.; and be it further

2-4  Resolved, That the members of the 72nd Session of the

2-5  Nevada Legislature hereby urge the members of the Nevada

2-6  Congressional Delegation to introduce and support legislation to

2-7  implement the plan developed by representatives of Pershing

2-8  County, the Nevada Land and Resource Company, and the Bureau

2-9  of Land Management to consolidate certain public and private lands

2-10  in Pershing County; and be it further

2-11      Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

2-12  transmit a copy of this resolution to each member of the Nevada

2-13  Congressional Delegation and to the Chairman of the Board of

2-14  County Commissioners of Pershing County, the Nevada Land and

2-15  Resource Company, the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of

2-16  the Bureau of Land Management; and be it further

2-17      Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon

2-18  passage.

 

2-19  H