Bill marks $25 million for Nevada

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Nevada will get about $25 million for lands and water projects if President Clinton signs the final version of the Interior Department's spending bill.

"This appropriations bill is particularly important to our state as it contains funding for projects that will help protect and maintain resources vital to Nevada's future," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.

The biggest item would be $11 million for fire restoration projects, including fence replacement, wild horse removal and care and tree and shrub re-seeding, Reid said.

Lake Tahoe also scored: $4 million to purchase environmentally sensitive lands in the Tahoe basin, $2 million for erosion control, $1.25 million for vegetation management, $1.5 million for wildfire management and $1.5 for road improvement and decommissioning.

"This year's appropriations are closer to the amounts we need from the federal government than we have seen in years past," said Rochelle Nason, executive director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe. "The federal government is making progress toward fulfilling its share of what needs to be done at Lake Tahoe."

In more good news for Tahoe activists, in separate action Thursday the Senate approved a bill that authorizes spending $200 million on Lake Tahoe projects in the next 10 years. The money will be matched with state and local money in a massive effort to preserve the fragile alpine lake on the Northern Nevada/ California border.

"The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act addresses the most environmentally important issues facing Lake Tahoe today, which are air quality, soil conservation and forest health," said Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who fought for the bill in the House.

Congress members are rushing to finish up work on 13 spending bills before they adjourn for the year. Adjournment is scheduled for next week.

The Interior bill also includes:

A number of the Nevada earmarks made a 20-page "pork" list prepared by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. McCain objects to lawmakers adding money for their home- state projects to the bill. Often the money is added without careful consideration of the full House or Senate.

"While individually, the amounts earmarked for these projects may not seem substantial, collectively they add up to a considerable sum of taxpayers' money," McCain said in a statement.