Lincoln land bill called unwise

Friday, June 25, 2004 | 10:40 a.m.

An umbrella group of environmental organizations working to block the Southern Nevada Water Authority's efforts to develop groundwater resources in central Nevada today slammed a federal bill as "unwise, unnecessary and unacceptable."

The Lincoln County Conservation Recreation and Development Act, introduced this week by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., would establish rights of way for hundreds of miles of pipelines to carry the water to Las Vegas.

The Nevada Ad Hoc Water Network said the bill overrides environmental protections in federal law. The group called for public hearings on the bill's provisions.

"While some may say this county bill is necessary at this time, I believe we should make the time to discuss the important statewide implications in this bill," Jeff van Ee, a Las Vegas environmentalist, said.

"We need to have hearings in Nevada, and we need environmental and hydrological studies to ensure that the proposed pipelines will lead to sustainable development in Nevada and not deplete our groundwater aquifers and degrade the environment of central or Southern Nevada."