Editorial: National gem needs protection

Thursday, Aug. 14, 2003 | 8:43 a.m.

Sen. John Ensign will introduce legislation later this year that would help Nevada meet its obligation to restore Lake Tahoe, whose health has been jeopardized by development and pollution. Under the Nevada Republican's bill, $30 million from the sale of federal government land in Southern Nevada would be dedicated annually over the next 10 years for the preservation efforts. The goal is to match the contribution of California, which already has agreed to provide $275 million. The rest of Nevada's congressional delegation backs Ensign's bill, but some Southern Nevada officials want the money from the sale of those federal lands to stay here.

Ensign's bill would amend the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998. As a member of the House that year, Ensign co-authored the bill with then-Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev. Since the act's passage, $566 million has been raised through the land auctions. The law requires the proceeds from the land sales to be used in Nevada for education, parks, trails and the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands. The intent was for most of the money to be spent on projects in Southern Nevada and Lake Tahoe. Ensign's bill would simply earmark that money which is to be used for Lake Tahoe.

Our state has seen its share of regional disputes, but the protection of Lake Tahoe usually has produced the kind of unity to overcome such bickering. In 1996, when Nevada voters passed a $20 million bond question to control erosion and restore the waterway at Lake Tahoe, even a majority of voters from Clark County favored it. We have long supported the protection of Lake Tahoe -- a treasure for the entire state and the nation -- and believe Ensign's legislation is a critical step in the lake's preservation.