WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing in which they considered U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen’s (D-NV) Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act, commonly referred to as the Washoe County Lands Bill. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen called on committee leadership to hold a legislative hearing on the bill, which is a critical step needed to continue moving the bill forward to become law. The Washoe County Lands Bill would expand local economic development and affordable housing opportunities, support Tribal communities, increase conservation, protect public lands and outdoor recreation, and keep proceeds from land sales in Nevada for priorities like education and restoration around the Truckee River.
“Hardworking Nevadans are being squeezed by the rising costs of housing, making it nearly impossible to afford a mortgage or rent. That’s why I’m doing everything I can to increase affordable housing options and help lower costs by making more land available for housing development,” said Senator Rosen. “The Washoe County Lands Bill is critical to increasing affordable housing in Washoe County and making more land available for economic development, while also permanently protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands and supporting Tribal communities. I’m glad to see it get a hearing and move one step closer to becoming law.”
For years, Senator Rosen has been working with a wide range of stakeholders across Washoe County to develop this comprehensive legislation. Last year, Senator Rosen unveiled a working draft of the bill and collected feedback from hundreds of Nevadans during a public comment period, which she then incorporated into this legislation that she introduced earlier this year. The current bill has received the support of a variety of local government officials, conservation advocates, and business leaders.
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