I have always been a strong supporter of environmental protection and have fought for improvements to our major environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and Superfund. These and other environmental laws have made our waterways safe again, made progress on reducing harmful air pollution, taken species out of danger of extinction, and cleaned up and revitalized previously contaminated sites in our inner cities and rural areas. These landmark environmental laws benefit Nevada tremendously, but there’s still much more to do.
Nevada’s dramatic landscapes – from the high alpine lakes of the Ruby Mountains to the stark open spaces of the Black Rock Desert to the incredible Joshua tree forests in the Piute Valley – have provided inspiration to generations of Nevadans. But as our population grows, more demands are made of our state’s natural resources and treasured public lands. Our challenge is to find a balance between growth and protection so that those who follow us will have the same opportunity to find and experience these incredible places as we have.
Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Communities
Clean Air
I am pleased that while our nation's population has grown, our air, in most instances, has started to get cleaner. This is largely due to the protections of the Clean Air Act that have significantly reduced air pollution from vehicles, power plants, and industrial sources. Fortunately, the new Administration is working hard to implement the Act in a common sense manner that meets the nation’s scientifically documented public health needs.
I fought the last Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Clean Air Act’s new source review provisions. These provisions embody the common sense notion that as utilities and major energy sources upgrade their plants, they should install the most modern pollution controls available. This is no trivial matter: whether those upgrades are clean or dirty means the difference between a healthy future or chronic disease and death for many Americans.
Clean Water
I have been a strong supporter of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts. These cornerstones of environmental protection have implemented pollution control programs, set water quality standards, and funded waste water treatment facilities in Nevada. Over the last thirty years, these landmark laws have helped make two-thirds of the country’s lakes safe again for recreational and commercial uses and provided safer drinking water for communities throughout Nevada and the nation.
I have helped provide funding for water system improvements for communities across Nevada. Improving and maintaining the quality of water in Nevada will continue to be one of my highest priorities as Nevada’s senior Senator.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is the jewel of the Sierras. That is why I have been working for over 20 years to restore Lake Tahoe to its fabled clarity. I am proud to have convened the first Lake Tahoe Summit in 1997 to draw national attention to the declining health and clarity of the lake. Then-President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore accepted my invitation to attend the event and helped bring much needed attention to the problems facing the Lake Tahoe Basin. It’s hard to believe we just celebrated the twelve-year anniversary of the Lake Tahoe Summit. Much has been accomplished in recent years.
In 2000, I worked closely with other members of Congress to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which authorized $300 million over ten years for restoration efforts at the Lake. This funding supports land acquisition, erosion control, forest management, fire suppression, and efforts to improve water quality. This 10-year authorization expires soon, which is why I am fighting for Lake Tahoe as the lead sponsor of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2009. This bill focuses federal attention on the areas where we can be most effective. The legislation – introduced in November 2009 - will authorize $415 million in federal contributions over 8 years for forest fuels management, watershed restoration, stormwater management and other vital projects. It also provides funding for the recovery of the Lahontan cutthroat trout, puts in place a rigorous science program, and takes major strides in protecting Lake Tahoe from invasive species like quagga and zebra mussels.
I will keep fighting every year to make sure Lake Tahoe gets the federal funding and attention it needs and deserves. For more information on my work to protect and restore Lake Tahoe please click here.
Nevada’s Sportsmen
In 2005, I worked closely with members from both parties to pass legislation (S. 339) that reaffirmed each state’s right to regulate hunting and fishing. I led this effort because a previous court ruling attempted to undermine the traditional role that states have in regulating its hunting and fishing laws. I respect the authority of states to enact laws to protect their legitimate interests in conserving fish and game, as well as providing opportunities for in-state and out-of-state residents to hunt and fish. This legislation was signed into law in May of 2005, and it will help ensure that Nevada sportsmen continue to enjoy the sporting opportunities that our state offers.
I am also a strong advocate for efforts to bolster Nevada’s wildlife populations. I have been proud to support the installation of “guzzlers” that benefit large game and many other types of wildlife on our public lands. I have also sponsored millions of dollars in projects to restore and enhance our native fisheries, including the reintroduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout into many of our states streams. These efforts are essential for providing outstanding recreational opportunities for Nevadans.
Great Basin National Park
In 1986, I authored the law creating the Great Basin National Park – the first national park in Nevada. The park spans 76,000 acres of eastern Nevada and features dramatic mountain ranges, semi-arid basins, and thousand-year-old bristlecone pine forests. I have also introduced legislation to highlight the area’s rich cultural history and stunning landscapes by designating the Great Basin National Heritage Route, including all of White Pine County. This Heritage Route helps bring attention and resources to this special area that contains segments of the historical Pony Express and Overland Trails, as well as impressive archaeological and natural resources. I am also pleased that I was able to secure $3.2 million for the construction of the Great Basin National Park Visitor Learning Center. This facility opened over the Fourth of July weekend in 2005 and now provides a wonderful introduction to one of Nevada’s most incredible areas.
In December of 2006, I helped pass the White Pine County Lands bill that transferred approximately 117,000 acres of land surrounding the Great Basin National Park from the Forest Service to the Bureau of Land Management, of which approximately 70,000 will be designated wilderness and roughly 47,000 will be withdrawn from land disposal and mineral laws. These changes are important because they will further protect this beautiful area and ensure popular hunting areas remain open and accessible.
More recently I was able to secure a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study into the adequacy of the current classification of Great Basin National Park as a Class II area under the Clean Air Act. I am confident the study, due soon, will find that the Park’s air classification should be upgraded, ensuring greater protection of air quality and visibility. This is an important step toward ensuring that the Park remains pristine for future generations and creates one more roadblock to those who wish to foul Nevada’s air with the construction of dirty coal power plants.
Red Rock Canyon
In 1990, I passed legislation that established the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This legislation protects Red Rock Canyon so that it will continue to be untouched by development and so that future generations can continue to enjoy the scenic and recreational opportunities that we cherish today. Red Rock, just 17 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, contains some of the most spectacular scenery in southern Nevada. It hosts over one million visitors each year, and has become a significant tourist attraction in its own right. In recent years, Red Rock Canyon has been recognized as one of the top rock climbing locations in the world.
Walker Lake
Over the past century, Walker Lake has lost much of its volume and its water level has fallen by 130 feet. Walker Lake is a desert terminal lake, which means the only outflow of water is from evaporation. As water flow to the lake has steadily declined over a century, the lake’s salinity has increased, threatening the survival of the Lahontan cutthroat trout and the tui-chub. In the mid-1990s, I organized a Walker Lake Summit to discuss the alarming changes to the Lake and possible solutions restore it. As a result of the Summit, federal, state, local and tribal governmental officials have worked together to restore Walker River in-stream flows and to bolster Walker Lake and its wildlife. The projects undertaken to date have generated solid research on the River system and the Lake, resulting in progress on joint governmental efforts to increase the trout population at the Lake – all while protecting local agricultural interests.
Since the Summit, I have focused on how to finance and implement the multi-faceted efforts to increase in-stream flow of the Walker Rivers and restore Walker Lake. I secured over $375 million in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills (P.L. 107-171, P.L. 110-246) to fund restoration and preservation efforts at all of Nevada’s desert terminal lakes – Pyramid, Summit and Walker Lakes. This program has increased conservation efforts; increased water efficiencies; protected, restored and strengthened fish and wildlife habitats; and fostered research specific to Nevada’s terminal lakes and their ecosystems. Many of these efforts and programs have occurred in the Walker River Basin and at Walker Lake.
I have pledged to help preserve Walker Lake. In the 110th Congress, I have worked to reauthorize the Desert Terminal Lakes Program and will continue to secure additional funding for programs that will stabilize the ecology around Walker Lake and combat invasive species, like the tamarisk. Working together, we can and will preserve Walker Lake for future generations.
County Payments
Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act (Secure Rural Schools) are extremely important for rural Nevada. Because more than 87 percent of our state is federally owned, counties aren’t able to collect property taxes to pay for vital services, including law enforcement and medical facilities. PILT and Secure Rural Schools funds help Nevada counties compensate for losses to their tax base that result from federal land ownership. During my time in Congress, I have worked hard to increase the amount of funding that Nevada counties receive from these programs.
Most recently, I worked closely with a bipartisan coalition of Western senators to fully fund PILT and reauthorize Secure Rural Schools. I led Senate passage of legislation that fully funds the PILT program for the first time since 1994. As a resident of rural Nevada myself, I led the charge to include full funding of PILT through 2012 as a part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. I also led efforts to revise the distribution formula for Secure Rural Schools funding to deliver roughly $54 million in new money to Nevada's counties over the next 5 years. I am proud to have worked with county commissioners and other officials from throughout Nevada to get this done, and I am pleased that these funds are helping to keep people working during these difficult economic times.
Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act
The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act became law in 1998, through my, then-Congressman John Ensign's, and Senator Richard Bryan's joint efforts. The money generated from land sales authorized by this legislation are used for high priority conservation, park, and trail projects, the development of public facilities like the Clark County Shooting Park, and for the protection and acquisition of sensitive lands.
In the past, I have worked collaboratively to defeat attempts from the Bush administration to steal these funds from Nevadans and principally use them to help pay down the federal debt. In May of 2006, I was able to help secure an agreement with the administration in which they agreed to honor the purpose of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act and discontinue such raids. I was very pleased that we were able to put that battle behind us and I will continue to ensure that the purpose of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is protected and the Act is fully implemented.
Clark County Public Lands Bill
In 2002, I authored legislation with Senator Ensign to provide a comprehensive public lands management plan for Clark County. This strong bipartisan legislation released wilderness study areas to enhance economic opportunities in Clark County while adding 440,000 acres to the national wilderness system. The measure preserved the beautiful areas that bless southern Nevada by creating the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and expanding the existing Red Rock National Conservation Area. It also will help ensure a clean future for Clark County by establishing the Southern Nevada Litter Cleanup Campaign.
Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act
Building on the success of Clark County’s public lands bill, in 2004 Senator Ensign and I authored a land bill for Lincoln County that improved land management, created more private land, and protected sensitive areas. The Lincoln County Public Lands bill represents the largest wilderness bill in the history of Nevada. This legislation designated over 768,000 acres in new wilderness areas, including over 150,000 acres of the Mormon Mountains. The bill also provides funding for the development and implementation of a multispecies habitat conservation plan for Lincoln County and for the protection of sensitive archaeological sites in the area. In short, this legislation represents a significant step forward in our efforts to protect and preserve our state’s rich natural heritage for current and future generations of Nevadans.
White Pine County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act
I worked closely with Senator Ensign and numerous parties throughout the state to develop this legislation that protects 559,000 acres of incredible wilderness lands and provided a timely economic boost to White Pine County. The bill also added important protections to the land surrounding Great Basin National Park, enlarged two state parks and a state wildlife management area, and provided new lands for the future growth of the Ely Shoshone Tribe. BLM lands were made available for the expansion of the Ely airport and industrial park and for future community growth throughout White Pine County. Like previous efforts in Clark and Lincoln Counties, this legislation carefully balanced the needs of growth and development with the protection of Nevada's pristine and wild backcountry areas.
Carson City Vital Community Act
I partnered with community leaders to develop a comprehensive lands bill for Carson City that was included in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. This legislation increases open space opportunities and helps the city pursue its smart growth plans. The legislation includes a land exchange between the city and the Forest Service, giving each entity land that is more suited to its mission and management abilities. The legislation also conveys the Silver Saddle Ranch and Prison Hill to Carson City for continued public use, with a conservation easement retained by the Bureau of Land Management. This will allow these areas to be enjoyed by the public as open space parkland, while protecting these areas from development.
California Trail and Interpretative Center
In 2000, I worked with local leaders in Elko County to pass legislation that aimed to create a first class learning center that chronicled the 19th century overland journey of more than 300,000 settlers into the west. Since 2000, I have appropriated approximately $10 million in federal funding for this important project. When completed, the Center will become an important tourist destination in eastern Nevada and further help to diversify the region’s economy. I greatly enjoyed touring the new facility – then still under construction – in August 2007, and I look forward to seeing the facility completed and opened to the public.
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout is unique to Nevada, and restoring the population along the Truckee and Walker Rivers will increase recreational opportunities, while guaranteeing the future of this important and historic species. In recent years, I have delivered over $3 million in federal funding to Nevada for the propagation of the Lahontan Cutthroat trout in the Lake Tahoe basin and the Truckee, Carson and Walker River basins.
Fighting Threats
Climate Change
Global warming is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The United States accounts for approximately 4 percent of the world’s population, yet it is responsible for approximately 25 percent of the world’s global warming pollution. Our government must provide domestic and global leadership on this issue because we have a moral responsibility to leave future generations with a safe and habitable world.
Climate change will have enormous consequences for Nevada, the Great Basin, and all of the southwest. Temperatures in the southwest are currently rising, and it is widely predicted that climate change will decrease precipitation. Drought will make farming and ranching tougher, increase the frequency and acres burned by wildfires, and could drive many plant and animal species to extinction. Some invasive plants, such as cheatgrass, are better suited to hotter climates, and are already replacing native vegetation. These impacts are already creating serious challenges and could become catastrophic in the future if we fail to take action.
Climate change’s impacts on our water supply could be one of the most devastating and near-term impacts the desert southwest faces. That is why I introduced the Drinking Water Adaptation, Technology, Education and Research (WATER) Act of 2009. This bill addresses the urgent need for applied research to improve water utilities’ capabilities to meet our nation’s escalating water supply needs, in light of reduced water supplies caused by longer droughts from hotter temperatures.
Fighting Invasive Species
From cheatgrass to Mormon crickets to Quagga mussels, Nevada faces serious challenges in controlling invasive species. That is why I helped establish the Nevada Arid Rangelands Initiative through the University of Nevada, Reno, and have consistently worked to secure funding to combat Mormon cricket infestations.
I have also introduced legislation to help Nevada and other states resolve invasive species infestations. My Invasive Species Emergency Response Fund would provide low-interest loans for invasive species projects that promote wildfire management, reduce changes to wildlife habitat, and reverse the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Wildfires
Although wildfires play an important role in naturally-functioning rangelands and forests, if they burn out of control, they can devastate our communities, displace livestock grazing and destroy wildlife habitat. Nevada has been particularly hard hit over the last several years. In addition to ensuring our firefighters have the resources they need to battle wildfire, I have secured hundreds of millions of dollars for removing hazardous fuels and eradicating fire-prone invasive species across Nevada through appropriations bills and the special accounts in our Nevada land bills.
At my request, the Bureau of Land Management is currently in the process of constructing a major seed warehouse in Ely that will serve the entire Great Basin. Having sufficient native plant seed available for restoration work is crucial to efforts to protect our landscape from fire. During restoration projects and after fires, land managers need to be able to re-seed areas with native vegetation to prevent the establishment of invasive weeds. With this new facility in Ely, Nevada land managers will have ready access to the native seed supplies they need to restore and protect our rangelands and vital wildlife habitat across the state.
In 2008, Congress passed The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, known as the farm bill. I am proud to say that this bill takes positive steps forward in addressing the threat of wildfire to Nevada’s rangeland and to the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, conservation practices that help to prevent the occurrence, spread of, and damages caused by wildfire to rangeland, can now receive funding. In addition, the bill establishes a new Livestock Forage Program within the Disaster Assistance Program to provide coverage for loss of pastureland, both public grazing allotments and private rangeland, in the event of drought and wildfire. I worked hard to ensure that coverage on public grazing allotments was extended into a ranchers’ second year of loss if grazing is restricted due to wildfire.
Eradicating Mormon Crickets
As someone who grew up in rural Nevada, I am and have been especially committed to improving the quality of life throughout the rural areas of our state. The Mormon cricket infestations that have been experienced throughout Nevada have caused a great deal of hardship to ranchers, farmers, and numerous businesses. In response, I worked hard to secure over $8 million for local officials and volunteers in Nevada to combat the Mormon crickets on both public and private land. This money has given the hard-working people who have been fighting this threat the support they need to protect our communities from future infestations. Most recently, I added additional funds to an appropriations bill to further control the crickets in upcoming years.
