Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2026

The House debated H.R. 2317, the Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, which transfers certain federal lands in northern Nevada to the state, counties, cities, and other local entities for economic development and public purposes, designates about 150,000 acres as wilderness, and includes land measures such as taking land into trust for the Washoe Tribe. Representative Amodei, the sponsor, said the federal government owns most land in northern Nevada, limiting local planning, and that local leaders, tribes, and conservation groups asked for the changes. Democrat Sarah Elfreth said she supported the wilderness protections but opposed the bill in its current form, citing concerns about public land conveyances that she said would sell land to mining companies without federal review or a fair return for taxpayers; she asked the sponsor to commit to addressing those concerns in the Senate. Amodei agreed to work on changes, and the bill passed under suspension of the rules.Written by AI from the debate. Updated 2026-10-17.

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