S. Hrg. 100-237 NATIONAL FORESTS AND PUBLIC UNDS OF NEVADA ENHANCE- MENT ACT OF 1987 AND THE NEVADA-FLORIDA LAND EX- CHANGE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1987 r. NOV X HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS, NATIONAL PAEKS AND FORESTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDREDTH COMPRESS FIRST SESSION ON ^^^"^^^ S. 59 A BILL ENTITLED THE "NATIONAL FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS OF NEVADA ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1987" S. 854 ENTITLED THE "NEVADA-FLORIDA LAND EXCHANGE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1987" JUNE 30, 1987 ' CEPOSITORY SHIPPING LIST# ^7-{?^a-P Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Bostciii, ivijn> «^.16 S. Hrg. 100-237 NATIONAL FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS OF NEVADA ENHANCE- MENT ACT OF 1987 AND THE NEVADA-FLORIDA LAND EX- CHANGE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1987 HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS, NATIONAL PABKS AND FORESTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOUKCES UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON S. 59 A BILL ENTITLED THE "NATIONAL FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS OF NEVADA ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1987" S. 854 ENTITLED THE "NEVADA-FLORIDA LAND EXCHANGE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1987" JUNE 30, 1987 Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 77-283 WASHINGTON : 1987 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, Louisiana, Chairman DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas JAMES A. McCLURE, Idaho WENDELL H. FORD, Kentucky MARK O. HATFIELD, Oregon HOWARD M. METZENBAUM, Ohio LOWELL P. WEICKER, Jr., Connecticut JOHN MELCHER, Montana PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico BILL BRADLEY, New Jersey MALCOLM WALLOP, Wyoming JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, Alaska TIMOTHY E. WIRTH, Colorado DON NICKLES, Oklahoma WYCHE FOWLER, Jr., Georgia CHIC HECHT, Nevada KENT CONRAD, North Dakota DANIEL J. EVANS, Washington Daryl H. Owen, Staff Director D. Michael Harvey, Chief Counsel Frank M. Gushing, Staff Director for the Minority Gary G. Ellsworth, Chief Counsel for the Minority Subcommittee on Pubuc Lands, National Parks and Forests DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas, Chairman JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico, Vice Chairman JOHN MELCHER, Montana MALCOLM WALLOP, Wyoming BILL BRADLEY, New Jersey LOWELL P. WEICKER, Jr., Connecticut TIMOTHY E. WIRTH, Colorado MARK O. HATFIELD, Oregon WYCHE FOWLER, Jr., Georgia PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico KENT CONRAD, North Dakota FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, Alaska CHIC HECHT, Nevada J. Bennett Johnston and James A. McClure are Ex Officio Members of the Subcommittee Thomas B. Williams, Senior Professional Staff Member Beth Norcross, Professional Staff Member (n) CONTENTS Page S. 59 4 S. 854 13 STATEMENTS Bechtel, Dennis A., coordinator, Clark County Department of Comprehensive Planning, Clark County, NV 254 Bilbray, Hon. James H., a U.S. Representative from the State of Nevada 40, 203 Bok, Erik, Federal legislative representative, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles, CA 95 Bryan, Hon. Richard H., Governor, State of Nevada 19, 35 Bumpers, Hon. Dale, a U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas 2 Burford, Robert F., Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior 58 Burge, Betty, Desert Tortoise Council, Las Vegas, NV 117 Callison, Charles H., public lands consultant, Natural Resources Defense Council 198 Cavanaugh, Wallace J., Crown Development & Mining Co., Wellington, NV 295 Clark, Ralph E., executive vice president and general manager, Aerojet Nevada, North Las Vegas, NV 277 Fascell, Hon. Dante B., a U.S. Representative from the State of Florida 44 Harris, Gail, Ad Hoc Committee on Aerojet, Las Vegas, NV 206 Hecht, Hon. Chic, a U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada 18 Horn, William P., Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, De- partment of the Interior ;.... 68 Hornbeck, David A., Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, Reno, NV 133 Laxalt, Hon. Paul, a former U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada 48 Leonard, George M., Associate Chief, Forest Service, Department of Agricul- ture 92 Perry-Jones, Jean, Evergreen Alliance, Mount Charleston, NV 148 Reid, Hon. Harry, a U.S. Senator from the State of Nevada 54 Smith, Lenard, commissioner, Lincoln County, Pioche, NV 225 Vucanovich, Hon. Barbara F., a U.S. Representative from the State of Nevada 56 Wadsworth, Shelley, executive secretary. Economic Development Task Force, Lincoln County, NV 234 Wagner, Sue, Nevada State senator 30 Watson, Charles S., Jr., director, Nevada Outdoor Recreation Association, Inc., Carson City, NV 171 Wilson, Thomas R.C., cochairman, National Forest Task Force of Nevada 23 Wright, Fred, legislative and issues representative, Nevada Wildlife Federa- tion, Inc., Reno, NV 265 (III) NATIONAL FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS OF NEVADA ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1987 AND THE NEVADA-FLORIDA LAND EXCHANGE AUTHOR- IZATION ACT OF 1987 TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1987 U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Pubuc Lands, National Parks and Forests, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:05 p.m., in room SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Chic Hecht, presid- ing. Senator Hecht. Senator Bumpers had hoped to be here. He might be here a little bit later. I know a lot of people have come a long way. So, in the interest of time, we are going to start right away, and if Senator Bumpers comes in, he will take over the Chair. [The prepared statement of Senator Bumpers and the texts of S. 59 and S. 854 follow:] (1) STATEMENT BY THE HONORABLE DALE BUMPERS The purpose of the hearing this afternoon is to receive testimony on two measures currently pending before the Subcommittee. The measures are: S. 59 - the "National Forest and Public Lands of Nevada Act of 1987"; and S. 854 - the "Nevada - Florida Land Exchange Authorization Act of 1987". Each of these measures is cosponsored by the two Nevada Senators, Senators Hecht and Reid, and there are companion measures pending in the House of Representatives. At this point I will place copies of these bills in the Hearing Record. A version of S. 59 - the so-called Nevada Interchange bill - passed the House last year. Primarily because of a dispute over language regarding federal reserved water rights, that mesure did not pass the Senate. That issue is still with us in this bill and it will have to be resolved before this measure can be enacted. In addition, I am particularly interested in how this measure will effect the management of roadless areas administered by the BLM and the Forest Service. - 2 - The Aerojet land exchange embodied in S. 854 has proven to be fairly controversial. While the exchange is supported by the entire Nevada congressional delegation as well as the Governor, a number of conservation groups will present testimony today in opposition to this proposed exchange. While I generally favor land exchanges, I want to be sure that the United States receives a fair deal and that the public interest is protected. I plan to examine this particular proposal closely to insure that these elements are present. 100th congress l8T Session S.59 A bill entitled the "National Forests and Public Lands of Nevada Enhancement Act of 1987". m THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES Januaey 6, 1987 Mr. Hecht (for himself and Mr. Reid) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL A bill entitled the "National Forests and Public Lands of Nevada Enhancement Act of 1987". 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and Hotise of Representa- 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 4 This Act may be cited as the "National Forests and 5 Public Lands of Nevada Enhancement Act of 1987." 6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 7 (a) Findings.—The Congress finds that— 8 (1) the public lands transferred by this Act contain 9 valuable natural resources (such as watershed, range, 10 outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat) which will be 2 1 enhanced by the professional, multiple-use management 2 of the Forest Service; and that certain national forest 3 lands would be enhanced by the professional multiple- 4 use management of the Bureau of Land Management; 5 (2) the public which uses these natural resources 6 will be benefited by such adjustments in management; 7 (3) the public lands transferred by this Act to the 8 Forest Service are adjacent to existing national forests 9 and, in many cases, are part of the same watersheds 10 and mountain ranges, and placing the management of 11 these lands under the administration of one agency, the 12 Forest Service, will improve efficiency and be cost ef- 13 fective; that similar efficiency and effectiveness will 14 result from transfer of certain national forest lands to 15 the Bureau of Land Management and; 16 (4) there is a consensus in Nevada that these 17 lands should be added to the national forests and that 18 some national forest lands should be transferred to the 19 Bureau of Land Management for management. 20 (b) PuEPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 21 (1) to transfer to the Forest Service, United 22 States Department of Agriculture, certain public lands 23 in Nevada currently administered by the Bureau of 24 Land Management, United States Department of the 25 Literior. These pubUc lands are contiguous to the S 59 IS 3 1 Toiyabe and Inyo National Forests and will become 2 National Forest System lands; and 3 (2) to transfer to the Bureau of Land Manage- 4 ment, United States Department of the Interior, cer- 5 tain lands in Nevada currently administered by the 6 Forest Service, United States Department of Agricul- 7 ture.