Heck Applauds House Passage of Department Interior Funding Bill

Press Release

As the House continues to work through the Appropriations process, Congressman Joe Heck (NV-03) today applauded House passage of H.R. 5538, the Department of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Act of 2017.

The bill contains $32.1 billion in total funding, including $480 million to fully fund "Payments in Lieu of Taxes" (PILT) -- which provides funds to local communities with federal land to help offset losses in property taxes -- and $3.9 billion for the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service to prevent and combat wildfires. In addition, the bill contains language to block federal regulations like the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and the implementation of the BLM's recently-released Federal Resource Management Plans. These plans ignore state efforts to improve sage grouse populations and place overly restrictive and unnecessary limits on land uses that will kill jobs and ruin the livelihoods of many Nevadans.
"This bill supports and protects our Western way of life," Rep. Heck said. "This bill ensures Nevadans, not bureaucrats 2,500 miles away in Washington, have a say over the use of our lands while still encouraging the proper stewardship of protected areas. By funding programs to promote the responsible use of resources, maintain PILT payments to local communities, prevent and combat wildfires, and block harmful, costly federal regulations, we can ensure Nevada's ranchers, miners, farmers, and their families continue to enjoy the way of life we cherish in the West."

In Congress, Rep. Heck has championed more local control over Nevada's federal lands and supports the continued access to those lands for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational activities.

Heck is a cosponsor of:

H.R.1484, to Honor the Nevada Enabling Act of 1864 Act, which directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to convey, in phases and without consideration, to the state of Nevada all interest of the United States in federal lands owned, managed, or controlled by the federal government through the USDA or Interior for the purpose of permitting the state to use them to support select beneficiaries.

H.R. 488, the Nevada Land Sovereignty Act of 2015, which prevents the threat of executive action designating or expanding national monuments in Nevada without Congressional approval or local support.

H.R. 528, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act, which requires federal public land management officials to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public lands for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting.

Congressman Heck also passed legislation through the House to allow Good Samaritan search and rescue organizations to access public lands to conduct searches for missing persons.

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