The Douglas County Lands Bill is back again, and proponents are hitting the highlights across the county.
On Wednesday, Jacques Etchgoyhen, who has been shepherding the project since it started 14 years ago, spoke to the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce.
At the time, people questioned the wisdom of going to the federal government.
After all, there’s a reason referring to something requiring an Act of Congress is synonymous with it being virtually impossible.
Fourteen years later, the bill is being reintroduced again in an attempt to attract enough attention from fractious lawmakers to obtain approval.
Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., who might be the only politician known statewide who isn’t running for governor, pointed out that the bill was a product of efforts in Douglas County.
It didn’t come from on high, but as a result of hard negotiation.
When there were concerns that the land at the base of the Pine Nuts might be sold to developers, a specific provision was included to prohibit the use of the property for anything but public purposes. That land is supposed to serve as flood control for the North Valley.
When concerns were raised about the Burbank Wilderness Study Area in the Pine Nuts, the portion of the area in Lyon County was deleted, and it was made clear that any public roads in the region will remain open.
One thing in the lands bill of particular value is transferring a portion between Ruhenstroth and Pine Nut Road, which will allow a road to connect the two. There is already a dirt track people use to escape Ruhenstroth during fires. Converting that into a proper access will be helpful for those whose rigs aren’t exactly designed for off-road driving.
We’re not even going to mention the portion between Jacks Valley Road and Carson Valley Plaza, which may well beat the lands bill across the finish line under its own power.
We can’t name a single road in Douglas that already has money set aside for it aside from the extension of Vista Grande across that property.
Does the bill stand any more of a chance than it has in the past? Only time will tell. But we know that it won’t be for a lack of effort.
