RENO, Nev. (AP) — An American Indian tribe wants to reclaim land near a Nevada ski resort and golf course rather than have it come under control of resort operators who are working with county officials.
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California wants to ask Congress for nearly 0.6 square miles of federal land in Incline Village, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
The property includes land that is part of Diamond Peak Ski Resort and along fairways at Incline Village Championship Golf Course.
"We just feel strongly if federal land is going to be transferred, it should be returned to its original owners," Tribal chairman Neil Mortimer said. "Part of who we are, part of what identifies us as a people is the land we are on."
The tribe's request is a duplicate of a request from the Incline Village General Improvement District, the entity that operates the ski area and golf course.
Incline Village and county officials had been working since 2016 to include the U.S. Forest Service-owned property in a draft of a lands bill that county officials would submit to Congress.
But Washoe tribal officials only recently learned about the plan, called the Washoe County Economic Development and Conservation Act, Mortimer said.
It will be up to the tribe and Incline Village General Improvement District to work with Washoe County to resolve the competing transfer requests before the lands bill goes to Congress.