Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing on improving management and utilization of federal lands in and around North Las Vegas. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), Rep. Cresent Hardy (R-NV), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and a panel of expert witnesses gathered to discuss a path forward to better serve the local community.

The outskirts of the city are owned in a checkerboard pattern by private, state and federal governments, a situation that is driving up the cost of housing and creating a host of management challenges for local communities.

“Every one of us on this Committee and every witness on this panel supports protecting Nevada’s public lands and preserving our natural heritage. On that principle, there is no debate,” Rep. Hardy said. “But we also believe that there is a better way forward that will protect our public lands while also allowing the people of the Las Vegas Valley to thrive.”

Rep. Hardy proposes more efficient issuance of special use leases or conveyance of certain lands from the federal government to Clark County to better promote the common good for the Las Vegas Valley community.

General Manager and Chief Engineer of Clark County Regional Flood Control District, Steve Parrish, testified to a public safety challenge his agency faces due to the current land ownership structure.

“When our desert flash floods occur, a significant amount of sediment and debris washes into the detention basins, limiting the basins’ capacity for future flood events. Some of our leases require us to go through an onerous and lengthy process with the Bureau of Land Management before those materials can be removed. This limitation on the basin’s capacity is a significant public safety issue,” Parrish said.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy is creating significant regulatory uncertainty, causing serious problems for the local homebuilding industry and driving up the cost of housing in Clark County. This means more and more Nevada residents are being priced out of the new home market. Non-profits including Opportunity Village, a charitable organization dedicated to helping those with intellectual disabilities, struggle to build new facilities.

“Federal land, by definition, belongs to Americans and should be used to improve the lives and wellbeing of Americans,” Chairman Bishop stated. “It seems crazy that the BLM can’t identify enough land for lease or sale to satisfy the needs of the Las Vegas Valley. Even more disturbing is BLM can’t even seem to help organizations trying to house citizens most in need of help.”

Members and witnesses stressed the importance of streamlining the unwieldy leasing process for economic growth.

“Smart and fair regulation of federal lands in Nevada […] can help keep the industry vibrant and a major contributor to economic growth,” David Jennings, board member of Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, argued. “Costly and cumbersome regulation raises the cost of land acquisition and development, which, over time, discourages future investment. As investment in land wanes, the homebuilding industry withers and so many auxiliary businesses that depend on development also decline.”

Click here to view the full witness testimony.