Letter to David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Interior - Rep. Titus, Local Groups Urge Interior Department to Begin Disbursing Grants from Sale of Nevada's Public Lands
Letter
Dear Secretary Bernhardt,
I am writing to urge you to initiate the next round of grant funding under the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA). This landmark law requires that proceeds generated from the auction and sale of public lands in Clark County be reinvested in conservation and recreation projects throughout the state. The majority of these funds are distributed through grants. The 17th and last round of SNPLMA grants closed in May of 2017, and it took over two years for your office to announce the awards. In the ensuing months, lands continued to be sold and today approximately $400 million dollars sit awaiting the next round of grants.
Nevada, and the Las Vegas Valley in particular, has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. We simply cannot afford the unnecessary delay that your agency imposed on our state in the last round of funding. Investing in our parks and open spaces is crucial, not only for the conservation of our sensitive lands, but also for supporting the outdoor recreation economy which generates over $12.6 billion in annual consumer spending and supports over 87,000 jobs in Nevada alone.
Enclosed you will find dozens of letters from key stakeholders urging the Department of Interior to commence the 18th Round of SNPLMA grants. These letters represent hundreds of area businesses and thousands of employees including our major resorts and casinos, chambers of commerce, and our homebuilders and developers. They recognize the enormous economic impact of this program and its importance to the quality of life in this region.
Again, I urge your quick action to initiate the 18th round of SNPLMA grants. I appreciate your attention to this critical issue. Should you or your staff have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ben Rosenbaum in my Washington office at 202-225-5965.
Source