Salazar, Reid, Abbey Approve $135 Million for Nevada and Lake Tahoe Projects

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NV -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey today approved more than $135 million for a variety of restoration and improvement projects throughout Nevada and Lake Tahoe under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act

“I am pleased to commit more than $135 million for federal improvement projects throughout Nevada at Lake Tahoe,” Salazar said. “The Department of the Interior remains committed to working closely with our local, state and federal partners to protect and enhance these specials areas for the benefit of all who live in and visit Nevada.”

“I thank Secretary Salazar and BLM director Abbey for coming to Searchlight to announce the approval of 135 million dollars for vital projects all around Nevada,” Reid said. “Today's announcement is a great example of our efforts to strengthen and diversify Nevada's economy.”

"Thanks to these funds, NV's lands and special areas will continue to be accessible to the public and be healthier for years to come," said Abbey.

The Round 10 expenditures under the Act include more than $79.9 million for a variety of restoration and improvement projects throughout Nevada in the following categories:

• Parks, Trails & Natural Areas - $10,239,022
• Capital Improvements - $8,246,129
• Conservation Initiatives - $7,655,107
• Environmentally Sensitive Land Acquisitions - $13,066,000
• Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Wildfire Prevention - $10,963,140
• Eastern Nevada Landscape Restoration Project - $1,931,721
• Lake Tahoe Restoration Projects - $27,891,285

The package also includes a $30 million set-aside for future Lake Tahoe projects, $10 million in a special account reserve for emergency or unexpected project expenditures, and more than $15.8 million for the previously approved Wetlands Park project in Clark County.

The expenditures are authorized through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) of 1998 (as amended), which generates revenue from the sale of public lands identified for disposal in the Las Vegas valley. The funds facilitate a broad array of restoration and improvement projects at Lake Tahoe, in Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties, and to a limited extent Washoe County and Carson City.