In the driest state in the United States with the highest proportion of public land, the effective management of natural resources is a priority for politicians in the next legislative session.

During the part-time legislative offseason, the interim joint committee on natural resources has met six times to discuss the most pressing issues that could require changes to state law. This year, they included the state’s lithium boom, the composition of the state’s wildlife and mining commissions and voluntary programs that allow farmers and ranchers to waive their rights to extract groundwater.

Of the topics presented in the meetings, the committee can approve 14 bills to change state policy, four of which must relate to Nevada’s public lands. All ideas are in early stages and must be approved by both houses of the state and Governor Joe Lombardo.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the committee’s proposed water and environment legislation that could come up in Carson City in 2025.

Cash-for-water rights programs

Water and the rights to pump it are a coveted commodity in Nevada.

Two of the bills passed Friday involve voluntary water rights retirement programs, which allow farmers and ranchers with outdated water rights to permanently surrender them in exchange for a cash payment.

In half of Nevada’s 256 watersheds, people have more water available on paper than is replenished each year by the snowpack, according to a report by the nonprofit science organization The Nature Conservancy.

This year, Nevada implemented pilot state water rights programs led by the Central Nevada Water Authority, the Humboldt Basin River Water Authority and the Walker Basin Conservancy. They were popular but underfunded.

Peter Stanton of the Walker Basin Conservancy in Yerington, which represents water users dependent on the Walker River, told lawmakers there are nearly 10 times more sellers than the program can pay for. Last week, the first water rights were revoked, totaling 500 acre-feet, or 163 million gallons, Stanton said.

“Halting groundwater decline is critical to ensuring a sustainable water supply for future generations of Nevada,” he said. “I commend the committee for its foresight in moving this bill forward.”

“Transit to hiking trails”

Another bill aims to ensure equal distribution of Nevada’s most beautiful landscapes.

Lawmakers have approved a bill that would establish a task force for a “Transit to Trails” program, in which public transit would provide dedicated routes to and from recreation areas and parks. The task force would secure funding and identify the areas where transportation to trails is most needed.

Olivia Tanager, leader of the Sierra Club’s Toiyabe chapter in Northern Nevada, said she has heard from too many Southern Nevadans who have never been to Mount Charleston and too many Northern Nevadans who have never seen Lake Tahoe.

The goal is to give all people access to nature by providing safe and affordable transportation to get there, she said.

“We want to get people outside so they can enjoy, explore and protect our public spaces,” Tanager said.

Regenerative Agriculture

At the recommendation of Representative Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno), Nevada may soon invest in a “healthy soils program” under which state agencies would promote so-called “regenerative agriculture.”

These are farming practices that reduce water use, minimize soil erosion and even sequester carbon that would otherwise have entered the atmosphere. About 26 other states have similar soil programs, a rancher told lawmakers in February.

The bill would establish a Soil Health Advisory Council under the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to educate Nevada farmers about regenerative agriculture and help them secure grants to transition to more sustainable practices.

In 2023, a similar bill passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee but never reached the floor.

“We’re happy that it’s made a comeback,” said Sheila Bray, a representative of the University of Nevada at Reno, the state’s only agricultural college.

Wildfire Partnerships

Nevada State Forester Kacey KC told lawmakers this year that the state is not taking advantage of all the intergovernmental firefighting partnerships available to it.

Nevada and the West as a whole have seen a lot of fires this year, and KC argues that joining the Northwest and Great Plains states’ agreements would greatly increase the Silver State’s ability to respond to wildfire disasters.

Instead of agreements between all states, these treaties enable a mutual understanding that resources can be shared as needed.

California and Utah are the only Western states not involved in an interstate agreement, KC said, although both are also working to obtain legislative permission to join. Membership would require passage of a state law.

“State funds can be mobilized more quickly than the national ordering system and include additional funding,” KC wrote in a letter to lawmakers. “This improves protection of Nevada’s communities, ecosystems and livelihoods.”

Wildlife crossings

To prevent further car crashes involving wildlife, lawmakers supported a funding bill that would amend the state budget to allocate $5 million every two years for wildlife crossings.

Wildlife crossings, structures that make it easier for animals to cross busy roads, received bipartisan support in 2023 with California Assembly Bill 112.

According to a letter from the nonprofit organization The Pew Charitable Trusts, there are 79 of them throughout Nevada.

When taking into account repair and treatment costs and carcass disposal, a collision with a deer can cost $19,089, a collision with a moose can cost $73,196 and a collision with a elk can cost $110,397, according to a study by the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Senator Pete Goicoechea (Republican of Eureka) expressed concern that $5 million every two years may not be enough. Vice Chair and Representative Natha C. Anderson (D-Sparks) asked the committee chairman to inquire whether Lombardo is already considering allocating more money in next year’s budget.

“The most important constraint to new, wildlife-friendly transportation infrastructure remains continued funding,” the nonprofit wrote in a letter signed by Reps. Nicholas Callero and Kyle Davis.

Contact Alan Halaly at [email protected]. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.