Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act

Bill Number

S. 4200

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-03-25: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Last Updated

2026-04-09T14:58:21Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act aims to promote conservation, enhance public lands, and enable sensible development in Douglas County, Nevada, by facilitating targeted land conveyances, sales, wilderness designation, and tribal land transfers.

Key Provisions

• Land Conveyances (Title I):
• Convey ~67 acres of Forest Service land to Nevada for Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park (conservation or public park use only; reversion if misused).
• Convey ~7,777 acres to Douglas County for flood control, recreation, or public purposes (consistent with Recreation and Public Purposes Act; no disposal; option for county to buy federal reversionary interest).
• Sell ~31.5 acres plus jointly selected parcels via competitive bidding (fair market value; buyers must comply with local zoning; proceeds: 5% to state education, 10% to county budget, 85% to special account for costs, tribal transfers, and sensitive land acquisition).
• Convey ~1,084 acres to county as Open Space Recreation Area (no disposal; reversion if misused).
• Tribal Lands (Title II):
• Transfer ~2,470 acres of federal land to U.S. trust for Washoe Tribe; accept ~199 acres of non-federal land into trust (part of tribal reservation; no gaming allowed; permits fuel reduction and habitat restoration).
• Burbank Canyons Wilderness (Title III):
• Designate ~12,392 acres of BLM land as wilderness (managed per Wilderness Act; allows grazing, state wildlife management, military overflights, fire/insect control; no federal water rights reserved; releases ~1,065 acres of prior Wilderness Study Area from further study).
• Forest Service Provisions (Title IV):
• Require determination on suitability of certain acquired lands for conveyance under Santini-Burton Act.
• Expedite special use permits for ~188 acres for county recreation/other purposes.

Common terms across provisions: Recipients pay costs (surveys, appraisals, etc.); federal disclosure of hazards but no remediation required; access easements reserved; minor boundary adjustments allowed; valid existing rights protected.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Bypasses land use planning requirements under Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) for specific conveyances/sales.
• Designates new wilderness area and releases portions of a prior Wilderness Study Area (WSA) from wilderness review under FLPMA §603(c).
• Places federal lands into trust for Washoe Tribe without gaming eligibility.
• Establishes special proceeds account for Douglas County land sales, prioritizing local conservation and tribal needs.
• Clarifies no new federal water rights for wilderness; follows state law for any future rights.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: BLM and Forest Service must execute transfers/sales (deadlines: e.g., 2 years for some sales), manage new wilderness, and fund activities from proceeds; reduces federal holdings in county.
• Citizens/Local Communities: Enables county/state parks, recreation areas, flood control, and economic development via land sales; funds local education/budget and open space preservation.
• No international relations impacts noted.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Douglas County, Nevada: Gains lands for public uses, recreation, potential revenue from sales/reversion buyouts.
• State of Nevada: Receives park land, education funding share, wildlife management role.
• Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California: Secures ~2,669 acres in trust for cultural/resources (restoration allowed).
• Federal Agencies: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Dept. of Interior (transfers/trust management).
• Local Residents/Buyers: Access to recreation; development opportunities if zoning-compliant.
• Wildlife/Conservation Interests: New wilderness/protected areas balance development.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Reinforces tribal trust authority (Indian Reorganization Act implied); upholds state fish/wildlife jurisdiction and treaty rights; limits gaming per Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; environmental disclosures under CERCLA without federal cleanup burden.
• Constitutional: Protects property interests via valid existing rights; no federal water rights reservation avoids Takings Clause issues.
• Political: Local-federal compromise balancing development (sales/conveyances), conservation (wilderness/parks), and tribal sovereignty; proceeds fund county priorities, potentially reducing federal-local tensions in land-rich Nevada.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

Recent Actions

• 2026-03-25: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
• 2026-03-25: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act — issued 2026-03-25 — PDF (39 pages)