Task force on water use flows from summit

Monday, March 18, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

Creation of a task force on water use and requiring permits for off-road driving on public land could become high- profile state issues as a result of last week's Nevada Land-Use Summit.

Proposals to create the statewide task force and to strengthen off-road rules were recommended by nearly all of the nine working groups at the three-day summit.

The 200 participants represented ranchers from Nevada's rural counties, environmentalists from all parts of the state and a host of state and federal officials.

Other proposals could come from the sessions, once the groups' notes are transcribed, but the unanimous sentiment about water use and off-road vehicle restrictions is pushing those issues to the forefront, Assemblywoman Marcia De Braga, D-Fallon, said.

The summit's No. 1 issue for water users was the transfer of water from region to region, de Braga said. Of particular concern were plans by the partnership of Lincoln County and Vidler Water Co. to sell water for development.

"I had Lincoln County residents approach me and ask me to find out what rights they have as citizens and water users," de Braga said. "They're scared."

Participants also were concerned about plans by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to pump water from Lincoln, White Pine and other rural counties to the Las Vegas area. De Braga said all such issues have to be on the table and all points of view have to be represented on the task force.

Southern Nevada Water Authority spokesman J.C. Davis said his agency isn't opposed to participation in such a group, but he said he didn't know enough about the makeup or goals of the task force to commit.

"We've tried to have a spirit of cooperation with other water users around the state, and we'll continue with that position," Davis said.

Dorothy Timian-Palmer, Vidler chief operating officer, said her company welcomes the opportunity to discuss water issues.

"We're not opposed to participation," she said. "We think a lot of concerns can be overcome if they understand the Lincoln-Vidler agreement. It would be a good opportunity to talk about the agreement in a public forum and put a lot of rumors to rest."

The company, which has represented Lincoln County's water-for-cash interests, has clashed with Southern Nevada water agencies over water rights and development proposals. De Braga said the task force could, with the cooperation of the governor's office, play an important role in rewriting the state's water resource plan.

The other issue that the summit focused on was access to public lands, and particularly off-road vehicle use -- and abuse -- on federal property.

Environmentalists, ranchers and federal officials, groups that often fail to see eye-to-eye on land-use issues agreed that a few drivers are causing damage to the federal land.

They proposed a registration or licensing system that would require off-road drivers to display a permit, with fees going toward protecting the land. With the participation of the federal Bureau of Land Management and other agencies, off-road drivers also would be required to look at maps indicating land that is off-limits to vehicles.

"We're pretty much OK with the general concept," said Don Dayton, a board member for Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts and participant in land-use forums for many years. "That's something we've been trying to get the BLM to do for a long time, to get a map to show where and where not to go.

"We've supported 'green-sticker' (permits) ideas."