Amodei calls for faster transfers of federal lands

Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., has reintroduced his bill designed to speed up the process of transferring small parcels of federal land to local communities.

“Why should it take more than 10 years for the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service to transfer the lands they do not need or want to local stakeholders who do?” he asked. “What is needed is an efficient process that promotes community directed uses and reasonable economic development.”

The bill would apply to parcels of 160 acres or less and limit the process to 18 months by setting deadlines the BLM and forest service must meet.

It excludes lands with federal protections for cultural, biological or endangered species.

He said the legislation is especially needed in states such as Nevada, which is more than 85 percent federal owned.

Revenue collected from the land sales would be distributed to the 13 states where the federal government owns more than a third of the total lands.