Gibbons to introduce his version of lands bill

Thursday, July 25, 2002 | 9:35 a.m.

Rep. Jim Gibbons is introducing his own version of a Clark County public lands bill that would set aside thousands of acres as federally designated wilderness and open up more federal land for various purposes.

Gibbons, a Republican, said his bill is much like companion legislation already in the Senate, introduced seven weeks ago by Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign.

"Our bill is very, very similar," Gibbons said. "It releases the same amount of wilderness study areas, it creates the same amount of wilderness."

The Reid-Ensign public lands bill would designate about 440,000 acres as wilderness, a legal definition that generally provides the most environmental protection for an area.

The Senate bill also would release about 180,000 acres from wilderness-study designation, meaning that land could become open for recreational purposes or for development.

Gibbons said his bill differs from the Senate version on three points. One is that a proposed swap of Howard Hughes Corp. land in western Summerlin to protect parts of the Red Rock National Conservation Area is not included in the Gibbons bill, but is part of the Reid-Ensign legislation.

Gibbons, a member of the House Resource Committee with jurisdiction over issues of federal lands, had already introduced the Hughes swap as separate legislation. The congressman said Wednesday that the two bills could probably be integrated in the House version.

Other issues may be more problematic. The Gibbons bill would deny federal water rights for wilderness areas, leaving water issues in the jurisdiction of the Nevada state government. Western environmentalists strongly oppose that provision.

Also in the Gibbons bill is a provision that would set aside 3,200 acres near the site of the planned Ivanpah airport for a residential community. The provision had been part of the Reid-Ensign bill but was dropped before formal introduction.

If Gibbons' legislation remains in its present form through the committee process and is passed by the House, the Senate and House versions would have to be reconciled in conference committee before going to the White House.

An environmental activist, however, said his coalition will work to block the bill because of the water provision for wilderness areas.

Brian O'Donnell, an activist with the Nevada Wilderness Coalition, said environmental groups fear that the provision could set a precedent that would affect water for wilderness areas throughout the West.

"We'll work to amend the bill in committee," he said. "If not, will work to stop it in the House, or support the Senate version."

O'Donnell also said members of the wilderness coalition, including the Sierra Club, have fought the proposed development near the planned airport in Jean because of concerns that it would encourage urban sprawl.

O'Donnell's group tangled with off-highway vehicle and hunting enthusiasts during the evolution of the bills. Clint Bentley, a spokesman for the Nevada Land Users Coalition, said his group does not have an issue with the development near Jean, and supports the provision on water rights.

He said the states can do a better job of managing water issues than the federal government. The goal of his group is to maintain access to wilderness areas and the ability to manage wildlife in those areas, he said.

Spokesmen for Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley, Nevada's Democrat in the House, said their offices have not yet seen the completed Gibbons bill.

Gibbons said the bill could be amended.

"This is a work in progress," he said. "We're open to comments, additions, changes. This is the beginning of a process that has been well thought out but we're open to suggestions."