Friday, February 25, 2005 7:10 PM PST
ELKO - Too much of Nevada is already owned by the federal government and the trend toward increasing federal land ownership needs to be reversed.
That's the opinion of northern Nevada's congressman and northeastern Nevada's state representatives.
With federal ownership at 91.9 percent and growing, those who value property rights are looking at ways to put more land into private hands.
The disparity dates back to the origins of the state.
When Nevada entered the union in 1864, the federal government kept most of the land within its borders. Some was doled out under the Homestead Act of 1862, including parcels in Elko County that would become large cattle ranches.
However, most of the arid territory remained unclaimed over the next century. The Homestead Act was discontinued everywhere except Alaska in 1976, and much of Nevada today remains under the control of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Other major land holders include the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Defense, according to a 2003 General Services Administration inventory.
In recent years, more land has shifted into federal ownership under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. Federal property sold at auction in the Las Vegas area brings a high price, and 85 percent of the money is used to purchase land elsewhere in the state.
U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., believes it is time to reverse the trend. Speaking to the Elko Daily Free Press this week, he called for a program that would sell off federal land to allow for reasonable growth at a reasonable price.
Gibbons said Nevada's congressional delegation has been researching the possibility of a "Northern Nevada Public Land Management Act" to serve the needs of rural Nevada, just as SNPLMA has served the urban needs of southern Nevada.
more...
http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2005/02/26/news/local/news4.txtPlans would shift federal land to private ownership