Meeting Time: September 19, 2023 at 10:00am PDT
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Agenda Item

15. Recommendation to approve a resolution supporting the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act and to request Nevada's federal congressional delegation to advance this federal public lands legislation to support conservation, recreation, and economic development in the Truckee Meadows region. Generally speaking and if ultimately passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, the Act allows for federal land to be made eligible for disposal/sale (anticipated 14,606 acres), creates permanent land conservation areas (anticipated 719,687 acres), conveys federal land to local government entities for recreation and public purposes (anticipated 4,701 acres), transfers additional federal land into trust for local tribes (anticipated 22,415 acres), and helps to fund additional land preservation and conservation projects statewide. Manager's Office. (All Commission Districts.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

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    Eric Lerude 8 months ago

    Dear Washoe County Commissioners,
    Please support the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act. A lot of time, effort and resources have gone into putting together this proposed bill. Many organizations have evaluated it and are in support of it. Many positives will result from it.
    Thanks for your time and consideration.

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    Maylyn Bubala 8 months ago

    As I have grown up in Reno Nevada I have been able to experience some of the most beautiful places in nature. Places that should always be protected and valued for generations to come. I strongly support the passage of this bill because it will allow people from all different backgrounds to experience these places for decades.

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    Ian Holt 8 months ago

    Northern Washoe county is a treasure for hunting, camping, sight seeing, and connecting to the history of Nevada. It deserves protection for present and future Nevadans. Please support this resolution. Thank you.

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    Heather Van Erden 8 months ago

    I am in support of the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act - and echo Tray Abney's comments, "This is a net positive for our entire region, for our economy, for your tax coffers, and for our environment." I urge all commissioners to support this resolution - it is long overdue and essential to our future growth.

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    Donald Molde 8 months ago

    I support the Act. It offers wise use for some public lands and offers excellent protection for the remainder. Please vote Yes.

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    Tray Abney 8 months ago

    On behalf of NAIOP Northern Nevada, the largest commercial real estate association in our region, I am in strong support of this resolution. Our members develop the buildings that you work, live, eat and play in. We are a dynamic, rapidly growing region. We need more space. Because of the fact that most of the land that surrounds us belongs to the federal government and because of our antiquated property tax system we depend on, we must have growth and development. This resolution supports the idea that we need more affordable places for people to live. And we need places for our new residents to work. And we need places for them to eat out with their families and to recreate. Our wonderful quality of life is enticing people to come here. We need to be prepared for that. If you want more opportunities for affordable housing, you will support this resolution. If you want to ensure that there are high-paying jobs that your residents can get to without driving into the next county, you will support this resolution. And if you want more funding for parks, soccer and little league fields and the Truckee River, you will support this resolution. This is a net positive for our entire region, for our economy, for your tax coffers, and for our environment. NAIOP Northern Nevada urges your support. Thank you.

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    William Cossitt 8 months ago

    Please let our federal representatives know that we support land conservation and that local input and control is important. Bill Cossitt

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    Jim Stanger 8 months ago

    As a resident of District 4 I urge Commission Andriola and the entire County Commission to approve the resolution in support of the TMPLMA. This legislation will provide the county public land to use for economic development opportunities while other areas will be protected from development, an excellent balance. The greater protections proposed for areas like Hays Canyon, Massacre Rim, and others are important in maintaining wildlife habitat, mitigating the worst effects of climate change, and preserving recreational access to the public.

    I moved to Sparks at the beginning of the year, and a great part of the reason I moved here was for the exceptional recreational opportunities; the breadth of landscapes I can travel to, get away from life's pressures, and experience some of the same land that my ancestors did. I love stopping in small communities, filling the tank and the cooler, then exploring areas that have rarely if ever seen the hand of man. Taking only pictures, leaving only footprints. And if properly protected, these are resources that will never exhaust. There's a time and place for everything. The places are clear. The disposal areas proposed will advance the county's development needs. And the areas proposed for conservation will ensure the natural beauty and cultural history of northern Nevada will be preserved for future generations to explore, enjoy, and learn from. And the time is definitely now. Please support the resolution.

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    Louis Bubala 8 months ago

    I support the Truckee Meadows lands bill as a good mix of projects. Obviously, it protects lands in the largely undeveloped parts o the county. I have been exploring these areas since I moved to Reno in 2004, taking my family & friends to see these places. Last year, for example, I spent three days exploring Hays Canyon and the surrounding lands. Yes, there were cattle in the valley. That's just part of Nevada so often. But it was just a stunning landscape, with views from the rims of multiple mountain ranges. The only time we saw anyone was a sidetrip into Gerlach to get some gas.

    I'm proud to see that Congress is working to provide more federal lands to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and the Washoe Tribe. We can never repair the harms that have been done to them, but we need to continue to make steps like this to recognize and honor their past and future.

    Finally, I accept the land trade offs for local government and potential disposal. We are a community, and the community needs these things to help all of us.

    I hope you too will recognize and approve of the work put into this bill. Please support yes to show the support from the residents of Washoe County.

    I camped in the Hays Range last summer, and it was stunning landscape.

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    Devin Horne 8 months ago

    Dear Washoe County Commission,

    Thank you for considering Panasonic Energy of North America’s (PENA) comments on agenda item 15, a recommendation to approve a resolution supporting the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act.

    PENA is the largest supplier of batteries for electric vehicles in North America. We currently employ thousands of Nevadans at our factory at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in northern Nevada, where we manufacture 66 battery cells per second, 5.5 million per day, and nearly 2 billion per year. I am writing to urge you to support agenda item 15, requesting Nevada’s federal congressional delegation to advance federal public lands legislation to support conservation, recreation, and economic development in the Truckee Meadows region.

    Currently I-80 serves as the primary and only practical route for our employees, many of whom live in Washoe County, to reach our factory at 1 Electric Avenue in Sparks, NV. When an accident or other disruption occurs on this two-lane route, our employees experience hours-long delays on their commute to work or home. Such impediments disrupt their personal lives and our economic competitiveness, as our workers struggle to reach the factory and suppliers find themselves caught in a traffic jam.

    Your support of this agenda item would send a clear message that the people of Washoe County, NV, support the Lands Bill, which will advance the development of an additional road to the TRIC, support economic development, enhance safety, and improve the lives of the residents of Washoe County.

    Should you have questions or wish to discuss this agenda item further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Sincerely,
    Devin Horne (he/him)
    Manager, Battery Public Policy
    Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Devin.Horne@us.panasonic.com
    505 9th Street NW, Suite 850
    Washington, DC 20001

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    Chris Cutshaw 8 months ago

    As a long-time Washoe County resident and user of these lands, I support this resolution. Protecting these places guarantees that my son and future generations will have access to enjoy these places as I have for recreating, camping, and hunting.

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    Philip Nasvik 8 months ago

    I live in District 2 and I want to strongly urge Mr. Clark to support the Truckee Meadows Public Land Management Act. Public lands are very important to me, as I spend much of my free time enjoying all they have to offer, including rock hounding, biking, hiking, camping, and photographing landscapes and dark skies.

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    Donald Pattalock, Managing Member 8 months ago

    Chair Hill and Commissioners:

    I am writing to express our support for the TMPLMA and its necessity for the future of our communities. As you are all aware, our region is extremely limited in land area for expansion due to our topography and the overwhelming presence of federally managed lands which surrounds all of us. Having been involved in 4 other county land acts, I am well aware of the once-in-a-generation opportunity to identify and make federal lands available for future growth.

    Without expanding our developable land base, our region will reach its limits, and then the economic decline will begin due to our depreciating tax base.

    Many of our counties and local jurisdictions have successfully negotiated lands bills to their benefit over the past 20 years. It’s our turn to plan for the next generation and we desperately need to take advantage of the support we are receiving from our congressional delegation to advocate for the TMPLMA’s success in this congress. Federal land legislation can be challenging as diverse stakeholders are brought together through the process: environmental protections for wilderness areas, recreation/multiple use protections, lands for governmental facilities, and developable lands for the future of our communities. However challenging each process was, we have achieved mutually beneficial outcomes for all parties through these legislative achievements in other communities throughout the state; just as we can here in Washoe County with your continued support.

    If you have any questions, as always, please feel free to call and discuss.

    Thank you for your dedication to our community.
    Don

    Donald A Pattalock
    General Manager | Member

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    Tara Nasvik 8 months ago

    As a resident of Washoe County, I'm encouraging all of our county commissioners, particularly my local District 2 commissioner, Mr. Clark, to support this resolution which will ensure conservation of areas I personally love to recreate in.

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    Shaaron Netherton 8 months ago

    As a long time Washoe County resident living in Commissioner Herman's District I want to say this is an important opportunity for all of us. Chances for Federal legislation to help the county and our way of life don't happen very often. Please vote to support the opportunity for Washoe County to continue to be a part of the Truckee Meadows Public Land Management Act. We need this for our future.

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    Russell Kuhlman 8 months ago

    The Nevada Wildlife Federation supports the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act. This act will provide the county with development areas to address the growing Washoe County human population while protecting wildlife habitat. The plan will ensure future outdoor recreation which includes hunting, fishing, hiking and camping will be available to all of the county's residents and visitors. Please support this act.

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    Alisha McCoy 8 months ago

    Please support this resolution. Nevada’s wild lands are a true treasure, becoming ever more so as Washoe County population increases. Having land to recreate and enjoy dark night skies is something that makes me want to continue living and working in Washoe County and makes me glad that my son, a fifth generation Nevadan, will get to grow up here.

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    Leslie Young 8 months ago

    I am a Washoe County resident and I support this resolution. I care greatly about conservation of the land for recreation and protection of natural landscapes and ecosystems. Please vote Yes on this resolution.

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    Tom Gorey 8 months ago

    Please support

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    Valerie Andersen 8 months ago

    As Washoe County’s population density and development increases, it becomes even more crucial that we preserve our open spaces and wild places to help our mental & physical health - de-stress, breathe, and smile. Take a hike in the Mt. Rose wilderness and Galena Park & you will see just how much those spaces are utilized and valued. And as wild spaces diminish, the ones that remain are sometimes being loved to death. Thus, the need for more. When they were first designated, homes were miles away & now they back up to those areas. And as our climate challenges increase, anything we can do to reduce carbon helps. Please vote to support this bill.