[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8128-S8129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID:
  S. 1331. A bill to give Lincoln County, Nevada, the right to purchase 
at fair market value certain public land in the county; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


                    lincoln county lands act of 1999

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to 
provide Lincoln County, Nevada with the exclusive right to purchase 
approximately 4,800 acres of public land near Mesquite, Nevada. This 
legislation, to be known as the Lincoln County Lands Act of 1999, will 
facilitate economic growth and development in one of the most 
economically distressed counties in the Silver State.
  Lincoln County encompasses an area of 10,132 square miles, which is 
larger than several of the New England states combined. Approximately 
98% of the County is owned by the federal government and property tax 
revenues amount to only $1,106,558 annually. As a result, Lincoln 
County is hard pressed to provide basic services to its citizens and 
the County school district in facing a critical situation as its 
schools are literally crumbling because of a lack of funds to maintain 
them.

[[Page S8129]]

The Lincoln County Lands Act will allow the County to address these 
economic problems in a positive way.
  By allowing Lincoln County to purchase 4,800 acres of public land 
(less than 1/10th of 1% of the land in the County) at fair market 
value, this legislation will result in the County's property tax 
revenues increasing by over $12.9 million annually--an increase of more 
than 1000%. While this may seem extraordinary, it is a result of land 
being situated immediately adjacent to the rapidly growing City of 
Mesquite which is located just over the County line in Clark County, 
Nevada. Mesquite's growth has created a huge demand for more housing 
and commercial development that can be best met by allowing Lincoln 
County to purchase this public land and develop it in a prudent manner. 
Under this scenario everyone involved is a winner. Lincoln County will 
gain badly needed property tax revenue, Mesquite gains room for 
expansion and growth, and the federal government will be fairly 
compensated for the sale of public lands.
  Another important aspect of this legislation is that it allows for 
the proceeds of any sale of land pursuant to the Act to be utilized by 
the Bureau of Land Management to acquire or otherwise protect 
environmentally sensitive lands in Nevada, to defray the administrative 
costs that BLM will incur in processing this land sale, and to develop 
a multi-species habitat plan for all of Lincoln County. These 
provisions, similar to those contained in the Southern Nevada Public 
Land Management Act enacted in 1998, will help ensure that a mechanism 
exists to fund the conservation and protection of Nevada's natural 
resources.
  Mr. President, the Lincoln County Lands Act is modeled after other 
legislation that I have successfully sponsored, such as the Mesquite 
Lands Act of 1986 and the previously mentioned Southern Nevada Public 
Land Management Act. These laws have provided a framework for creating 
economic growth while protecting the environment and the taxpayer. I am 
very pleased to be able to build upon these achievements by assisting 
Lincoln County in a similar manner. I look forward to prompt 
consideration of this important piece of legislation.
  Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1331

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Lincoln County Land Act of 
     1999''.

     SEC. 2. SALE OF PUBLIC LAND.

       (a) Right To Purchase.--For a period of 10 years after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, Lincoln County, Nevada, shall 
     have the exclusive right to purchase the parcels of public 
     land described in subsection (b).
       (b) Land Description.--The parcels of public land referred 
     to in subsection (a) are the following parcels in T. 12 S., 
     R. 71 E., Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada:
       (1) Sec. 16: NW \1/4\ SW \1/4\, S \1/2\ SW \1/4\, SE \1/4\.
       (2) Sec. 17: SW \1/4\, W \1/2\ SE \1/4\, SE \1/4\ SE \1/4\.
       (3) Sec. 18: SE \1/4\.
       (4) Sec. 19: E \1/2\.
       (5) Sec. 20.
       (6) Sec. 21: W \1/2\.
       (7) Sec. 28: W \1/2\.
       (8) Sec. 29.
       (9) Sec. 30: E \1/2\.
       (10) Sec. 31: E \1/2\.
       (11) Sec. 32.
       (12) Sec. 33: W \1/2\, SE \1/4\.
       (13) Sec. 34: S \1/2\.
       (c) Notification.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, Lincoln County, Nevada, shall 
     notify the Secretary of the Interior which of the parcels of 
     public land described in subsection (b) the county intends to 
     purchase.
       (d) Terms and Conditions of Sale.--All sales of public land 
     under this section--
       (1) shall be subject to valid existing rights; and
       (2) shall be made for fair market value, as determined by 
     the Secretary.
       (e) Conveyance.--Not later than 1 year after receiving 
     notification by Lincoln County that the county wishes to 
     proceed with a purchase under subsection (a), the Secretary 
     of the Interior shall convey to Lincoln County the parcels of 
     land selected for purchase.
       (f) Withdrawal.--Subject to valid existing rights, until 
     the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the public land described in subsection (b) is withdrawn 
     from all forms of entry and appropriation under the public 
     land laws, including the mining laws, and from operation of 
     the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws.

     SEC. 3. DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS.

       (a) Land Sales.--Of the gross proceeds of sales of land 
     under this Act in a fiscal year--
       (1) 5 percent shall be paid directly to the State of Nevada 
     for use in the general education program of the State;
       (2) 10 percent shall be returned to Lincoln County for use 
     as determined through normal county budgeting procedures, 
     with emphasis given to support of schools, of which no amount 
     may be used in support of litigation against the Federal 
     Government; and
       (3) the remainder shall be deposited in a special account 
     in the Treasury of the United States (referred to in this 
     section as the ``special account'') for use as provided in 
     subsection (b).
       (b) Availability of Special Account.--
       (1) In general.--Amounts in the special account (including 
     amounts earned as interest under paragraph (3)) shall be 
     available to the Secretary of the Interior, without further 
     Act of appropriation, and shall remain available until 
     expended, for--
       (A) the cost of acquisition of environmentally sensitive 
     land or interests in such land in the State of Nevada, with 
     priority given to land outside Clark County;
       (B) development of a multispecies habitat conservation plan 
     in Lincoln County, Nevada; and
       (C) reimbursement of costs incurred by the Bureau of Land 
     Management in preparing sales under this Act, or other 
     authorized land sales or exchanges within Lincoln County, 
     Nevada, including the costs of land boundary surveys, 
     compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
     (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), appraisals, environmental and 
     cultural clearances, and any public notice.
       (2) Acquisition from willing sellers.--An acquisition under 
     paragraph (1)(A) shall be made only from a willing seller and 
     after consultation with the State of Nevada and units of 
     local government under the jurisdiction of which the 
     environmentally sensitive land is located.
       (3) Interest.--Amounts in the special account shall earn 
     interest in the amount determined by the Secretary of 
     Treasury on the basis of current average market yield on 
     outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of 
     comparable maturities.
                                 ______