Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2026

Official Congressional Record (opens in a new tab)

Mark E. Amodei, NV

Republican
“I want the House to pass my bill. It's a big bill. It has many sections. The bill moves a lot of federal land to Nevada and local authorities. They can use it for development and recreation and flood control. Some land is set aside as wilderness. It's a big deal for my area. Please pass it today.”
86% shorter Analysis
Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2317) to provide for transfer of ownership of certain Federal lands in northern Nevada, to authorize the disposal of certain Federal lands in northern Nevada for economic development, to promote conservation in northern Nevada, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 101. Purpose. Sec. 102. Definitions. Sec. 111. Conveyance to State of Nevada. Sec. 112. Conveyance to Douglas County, Nevada. Sec. 113. Sale of certain Federal land. Sec. 114. Open Space Recreation Area. Sec. 121. Transfer of land to be held in trust for Tribe. Subtitle C--Resolution of Burbank Canyons Wilderness Study Area Sec. 131. Addition to National Wilderness Preservation System. Sec. 132. Administration. Sec. 133. Fish and wildlife management. Sec. 134. Release of wilderness study area. Sec. 135. Native American cultural and religious uses. Sec. 141. Authority of Forest Service to convey to State or county for Sec. 142. Special use authorizations for recreation and other purposes. Sec. 201. Purpose. Sec. 202. Definitions. Sec. 203. Land conveyances for public purposes. Sec. 301. Purpose. Sec. 302. Definitions. Sec. 303. Land conveyances for flood protection. Sec. 401. Definitions. Sec. 402. Land conveyances. Sec. 403. Carson City street connector conveyance. Sec. 404. Amendment to reversionary interests. Sec. 405. Disposal of Federal land. Sec. 406. Transfer of land to the United States. Sec. 407. Disposition of proceeds. Sec. 408. Postponement; exclusion from sale. Sec. 501. Short title. Sec. 502. Definitions. Sec. 503. Findings. Sec. 511. Sale or exchange of eligible land. Sec. 512. Sale of encumbered land. Sec. 513. Disposition of proceeds. Sec. 521. Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sec. 522. Administration. Sec. 523. Wildlife management. Sec. 524. Release of wilderness study areas. Sec. 525. Native American cultural and religious uses. Sec. 601. Federal complex. Sec. 701. Short title. Sec. 702. Definitions. Sec. 703. Land conveyances to the City of Elko. Sec. 704. Land conveyances to Elko County. Sec. 801. Short title. Sec. 802. Land conveyances. Sec. 901. Definitions. Sec. 902. Conveyance of land for use as a public cemetery. Sec. 903. Conveyance of land for use as regional public parks. Sec. 1001. Administration of State water rights. Sec. 1002. Amendment to conveyance of Federal land in Storey County, Sec. 1003. Maps and legal descriptions. Sec. 1004. Minor errors. Sec. 1101. Greenlink West Project. Sec. 1201. Release of Federal reversionary land interests. Subtitle C--Resolution of Burbank Canyons Wilderness Study Area

Mark E. Amodei, NV

Republican
“I want to give members more time to talk about this bill. And add extra stuff to the record.”
46% shorter Analysis
Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2317, as amended, the bill now under consideration.

Mark E. Amodei, NV

Republican
“I want to pass this bill. Too much federal land. Local people need to use land for growth. This bill gives some land back to local people. Local people asked for it. Groups like it too. The bill is not new. It has support from many different groups.”
90% shorter Analysis
Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I guess in continuing on the slow-but-steady progress on the theme for today, northern Nevada counties are overwhelmingly owned by the Federal Government, restricting local planners and zoners from being able to adequately serve and plan for their communities' needs. In Pershing County, the Federal Government owns 73.3 percent of the total landmass in the county. The amount of Federal land in Pershing remains virtually unchanged because this bill has a one-to-one consolidation of checkerboard land that was done during the 1800s for railroad construction. It is literally a consolidation of the checkerboard into two pieces, one private and one public. In Douglas County, the Federal Government owns 51.9 percent of the total landmass in the county. This bill conveys 7,777 acres to the county for flood management purposes and allows for the disposal of no more than 10,000 acres in the county. This would dispose of only 4.1 percent of Federal land in Douglas County, most of which is for public purposes. In Lyon County, the Federal Government owns 64.8 percent of the total landmass in the county. The bill allows for the disposal of 12,085 acres of Federal land in Lyon County, decreasing the Federal estate in that particular county by 1.4 percent. All of the parcels for conveyance, disposal, and wilderness were identified and requested by local planning and zoning authorities. That is, in all three cases, the county commissions. The bill has been wrongly conflated to the lands provisions originally in last year's reconciliation package. To be clear, this is not what was considered during the reconciliation. The bill before you is a holistic package that balances conservation and economic development priorities for northern Nevada communities and enjoys bipartisan support in Nevada. The bill is nearly identical to what was favorably marked up and reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee in November last year. The largest piece of this bill, Pershing County, passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee way back in the 115th Congress, so it has been in the mix, if you will, for more than a little while. Groups in support is a list of groups that you don't always hear talked about in support of the same thing. All counties, cities, and Tribes included in the bill not only support it, but the bill consists of requests from those entities to have these lands put into local control. The supporting groups include: Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Great Basin Wildlife Conservancy, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Nevada Sporting Dog Alliance, Northern Nevada Safari Club International, Sierra Front Muley Fanatic Foundation, Southern Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife, Truckee River Flyfishers, National Mining Association, and the Nevada Farm Bureau. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mark E. Amodei, NV

Republican
“I will not talk more. The House passed the bill.”
87% shorter Analysis
Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Williams of Texas). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Amodei) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2317, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

More from issue 144

All 73 items ·
  1. House of Representatives Recognizing Donna Mills 4 statements
  2. House of Representatives Recognizing the Sudanese-American Iowa National Soccer Team Club 3 statements
  3. House of Representatives Remembering Father Vincent Robert Capodanno 2 statements
  4. House of Representatives Pending Retirement 3 statements
  5. House of Representatives Honoring Chris Fisher 4 statements
  6. House of Representatives Land Conveyance, Fort Bragg, Harnett County, North Carolina 4 statements
  7. House of Representatives Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act 4 statements
  8. House of Representatives Gpo Modernization Act of 2026 5 statements
  9. House of Representatives Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act 5 statements
  10. House of Representatives Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act 5 statements
  11. House of Representatives Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act 4 statements
  12. House of Representatives National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act of 2025 4 statements
  13. House of Representatives National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act 5 statements
  14. House of Representatives Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act 5 statements
  15. House of Representatives Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act 5 statements
  16. House of Representatives Peter G. Thurland, Sr., Bandstand 4 statements
  17. House of Representatives Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction over Certain Federal Land in the State of California 4 statements
  18. House of Representatives Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025 5 statements
  19. House of Representatives Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025 5 statements
  20. House of Representatives National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025 4 statements
  21. House of Representatives Providing for the Equitable Settlement of Certain Indian Land Disputes Regarding Land in Illinois, and for Other Purposes 5 statements
  22. House of Representatives Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025 6 statements
  23. House of Representatives Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act 4 statements
  24. House of Representatives Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center 4 statements
  25. House of Representatives Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2026 4 statements
  26. House of Representatives Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act 4 statements
  27. House of Representatives Establishment of the General George C. Marshall House as an Affiliated Area 4 statements
  28. House of Representatives National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act 4 statements
  29. House of Representatives Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science (Waters) Act 6 statements
  30. House of Representatives Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2026 7 statements
  31. House of Representatives Common Cents Act 6 statements
  32. House of Representatives Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act of 2026 6 statements
  33. House of Representatives Fostering the Use of Technology to Uphold Regulatory Effectiveness in Supervision Act 8 statements
  34. House of Representatives Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025 3 statements
  35. House of Representatives Directing the President, Pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to Remove United States Armed Forces from Hostilities with Iran 16 statements
  36. House of Representatives Recognizing Trucker Appreciation Week 8 statements
  37. Senate Elections 5 statements
  38. Senate Unanimous Consent Request--S. 5389 (Executive Calendar) 5 statements
  39. Senate 25th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 Attacks 4 statements