[Introduced by]

Please recognize

Thank you.

I am delighted to be back in Nevada on the eve the celebration of your 140th anniversary of statehood. (Actually Sun, Oct 31 but being celebrated Fri, Oct 29)

I am glad to see some clouds - hope today's showers are signaling the end of the long drought.

I am happy to be here once again for an announcement regarding the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. The act is one of the best examples of an innovative solution benefiting conservation anywhere in the country.

My department's Bureau of Land Management manages a lot of land in Clark County. Some of the properties are more appropriate to community growth and development. We work with local planning authorities to determine which tracts to offer when.

Everyone would lose if these lands remained in our control. The lands would remain little-used and difficult to manage: The communities would have more limited opportunities to grow and might have fewer recreational opportunities to offer their residents.

Everyone wins through the Public Lands Management Act.

Through the Act, we can auction lands to the private sector for development, the proceeds of which are returned to the citizens of Nevada.

Through the Act and the partnerships formed from it, we are providing communities better opportunities to grow and providing residents better opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.

Today, I am pleased to approve expenditures for nine new Public Lands Management Act projects in Southern Nevada.

These will serve the citizens of southern Nevada with open spaces and opportunities for recreation. The almost $120 million I am approving will buy rights of way for trails, fund their development, and acquire lands for parks and preserves.

All of the projects were nominated by our local government partners, including Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson and Las Vegas.

Some of the projects are new, while others expand on trail and park proposals already begun. I am approving about $77 million for four trail system projects that are closely tied together, and that will connect the City of Henderson with other parts of Clark County.

To make that happen, the City of Henderson will acquire lands in the Union Pacific Railroad right of way and will build about 12 miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails to link Lake Mead Pathway to Pecos Road.

Concurrently, Clark County will acquire lands in the Southeast Area Shared-Use Trail System and be provided funds sufficient to complete 11 miles of trail.

In the City of North Las Vegas, $5.5 million in proceeds from BLM land sales will play a significant role in revitalizing the downtown with a park that will include everything from play areas to gazebos for special events.

$1.6 million in expenditures BLM land sales will go toward a bird view preserve at the third largest body of water in southern Nevada, a wastewater treatment facility.

Wetlands Park, with its flowing streams and quiet ponds, has received a continuous stream of expenditures through the Act. That is appropriate. Those sensitive lands deserve care, and the citizens of Clark County are fortunate to have such a peaceful place so close to the Strip. I have visited and marveled at this wetland oasis.

We are providing funds to construct a trailhead which will allow the River Mountain Loop trail to enter the Wetland Park for the first time. This $1 million project will add greatly to enjoyment of the hikers, bikers, and equestrians who use the River Mountain loop to reach Lake Mead.

A neighborhood park in Henderson will use the expenditures from the Act to develop lands already owned by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. That 11-acre park will be able to improve everything from playgrounds to trails, thanks to almost $4 million in the Act's funds.

At Centennial Hills Park, I am approving $36 million to allow the continued expansion of that 95-acre regional park.

Though the projects are different, their purpose is the same, to enrich the lives of Nevadans and enlarge their recreational opportunities; to conserve wildlife and keep it for future generations to enjoy.

Many other projects have been made possible by the more than $1.3 billion in proceeds from BLM land sales on slightly more than 8,000 acres. Campgrounds and picnic facilities have been upgraded at Lake Mead National Recreation Area; an administrative and visitor center complex is being planned at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Environmental restoration projects have begun; marinas at Lake Mead have been improved.

Putting the Act's funds to the best possible use for the people of Nevada and their public lands involves many partnerships.

I believe in the power of partnerships. I have seen them work wonders on Western resource issues, pointing the way to innovative solutions and leading to the resolution of longstanding problems.

For that reason, the President continues to emphasize cooperative conservation.

The Act's projects have led to the development of a delightful number of partnerships, both between federal agencies and with groups outside of the federal government.

The University of Nevada Las Vegas Public Lands Initiative is one of our primary partners. Federal partners in that initiative include the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service.

Those federal agencies work with the faculty and staff at the University, who in turn work with others to produce projects that enrich the entire community.

One project that the UNLV Lands Initiative is developing is the Red Rock Desert Learning Center, a 5th grade residential science camp at Red Rock Canyon. Another project is a recreation program designed to introduce urban and economically disadvantaged youths to the world of water, including aquatic resource management and fishing and boating.

We continue to depend on the guidance and cooperation of everyone involved: From the experts in Clark County and the dedicated employees at the Las Vegas office of the Bureau of Land Management all the way up to Governor Kenny Guinn and his staff.

The Act's projects also require partners working together in Washington. President Bush and I are proud to be a part of that effort. We are grateful for the work of our teammates: Senator John Ensign, an original sponsor of this legislation, who has been both an essential partner and an effective participant; and Congressman Jon Porter who is with me today, and the other members of the Nevada Congressional delegation.

All are working together for the good of Nevada. The list of partners in the Act's projects is lengthy. The benefits that they produce are priceless.