Nevada has one of the lowest population densities in the country with less than 30 people per square mile. At the same time, your own eyes see that beyond the confines of two metro areas in Las Vegas and Reno, we have miles and miles of untouched desert.
Yet, we’re running out of land for new homes, businesses and more.
That’s because some 80% of the land in Nevada, 52 million square miles, is owned by the federal government.
Nevada’s communities have to get federal permission to expand.
So now, two bills are in Congress that would vastly increase the amount of land that can be developed. One for Clark County and last year, Senator Jacky Rosen drafted another bill for expansion in Washoe County.
If the bills pass, some say it would lead to more home construction, which would lead to lower home prices and more economic growth. Others say that if it happens, care must be taken to preserve the environment. Still others say if all this growth happens, where will the new water come from?
Guests: Taylor Patterson, executive director, Native Voters Alliance Nevada; Gabby Birenbaum, reporter, The Nevada Independent; Jose Witt, Mojave Desert landscape director, The Wilderness Society
