Sunday, June 16, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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About 6% of Nevada’s land is used for national security.
In Texas, that number is 0.3%. If Texans were to offer up all the land Nellis Air Force Base and Fallon Naval Air Station want for training, that would increase their national security state land use to only 1.7%, which would move them into the top 15 states, just above New Jersey.
In the 1980s, West Texas was determined to be ideal for national security use, given that there was low or no significant impacts on mining, wildlife, native species, wildlife habitat or public recreation — all issues of significance in Nevada. This move would be a win-win for Nevada: the Desert National Wildlife Refuge could be returned to its primary mission for wildlife management and opened to public access; Fallon’s 600,000-acre expansion plan would not be necessary; and the Defense Department could finance land acquisition in Texas by selling its prime Nellis AFB real estate in Southern Nevada for development.
Come on, Texas, it is time to cowboy up and do your part for national security. When was the last time you made a sacrifice for national security? 1845?
