Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act

The bill initiates significant land transfers to empower tribal nations in Southern Nevada. It directs the transfer of approximately 44,950 acres of federal land and 196 acres of existing tribal fee land to be held in trust for the Moapa Band of Paiutes , integrating them into their reservation. Similarly, about 3,156 acres of federal land will be held in trust for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe . These trust lands are explicitly designated as ineligible for Class II or III gaming, and specific provisions address water rights and utility corridors. For Clark County , the legislation redefines "public park" within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area to include public-private partnerships, even those requiring admission fees, and adjusts its boundary. It revokes portions of the Ivanpah Area of Critical Environmental Concern and establishes nine new Special Management Areas (SMAs) totaling approximately 358,954 acres. These SMAs are designed to conserve and enhance cultural, natural, and biological resources, particularly those covered by the Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Management of these areas will restrict motorized vehicles to designated routes and prohibit new road construction. Crucially, the bill credits the newly established SMAs as mitigation for additional incidental take impacts, enabling the extension of the Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and its associated federal incidental take permit for the maximum authorized duration. Regarding economic development, the bill amends existing law to allow for the joint nomination of up to 25,000 additional acres for disposal in the Las Vegas area. It also prioritizes the review of land disposal applications for affordable housing purposes and conveys a 350-acre "Job Creation Zone" in Sloan, Nevada, to Clark County for nonresidential development. The legislation significantly expands the National Wilderness Preservation System in Southern Nevada by adding substantial acreage to several existing wilderness areas. It also designates new wilderness areas, including the Mount Stirling Wilderness , Gates of the Grand Canyon Wilderness , Southern Paiute Wilderness , and Lucy Gray Wilderness . Furthermore, it facilitates numerous land conveyances to local governments for public purposes, such as parcels to Boulder City and Mesquite for public use and watershed protection, and to Clark County for public safety and wildfire response facilities. The Moapa Valley Water District receives land for critical water infrastructure, and North Las Vegas for a fire training facility, all generally without consideration but with reversion clauses. The bill also establishes four new Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Areas , covering over 117,000 acres, which will be managed to balance recreational use with conservation, and are withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing. It directs the completion of six erosion control weirs on the Lower Las Vegas Wash within eight years and amends the Las Vegas Resource Management Plan to allow for critical flood control facilities in the Coyote Springs Desert Tortoise Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Finally, it redefines the Southern Nevada Limited Transition Area in Henderson to allow for both nonresidential and limited residential development, and clarifies that state jurisdiction over fish and wildlife management on federal lands remains unaffected.