Nevada Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller re-introduced the Lyon County lands bill Monday that they say will both create mining jobs in that county and designate a new wilderness area.
The bill was introduced in the last session of Congress but stalled amid opposition to Reid's insistence it include provisions creating the Wovoka Wilderness Area.
The new bill has bipartisan support of both Reid, the Senate Majority Leader and Republican Heller.
The measure will allow Yerington to work with Nevada Copper to develop 12,500 acres of land surrounding the Pumpkin Hollow mine site. That, according to the senators, will create 800 mining jobs and 500 construction jobs.
The lands also will be used for industrial, recreational and other purposes creating economic development in the Yerington area.
The wilderness portion of the legislation will withdraw some 48,000 acres from mining and development to protect sensitive historic, archaeological and cultural resources.
