EDITORIAL: Clark County Commission’s lands plan needed for economic growth

The federal government controls over 90 percent of the land in Southern Nevada. The Clark County Commission is working to make a bit more of it available for private development. That’s a good thing.

The Las Vegas Valley has been growing rapidly for decades. Clark County grew from 800,000 in 1990 to 2.2 million last year. The Census Bureau found that Clark County had the second-largest population increase in the country in 2018. It helps living next to a state that can’t figure out why high gas taxes and onerous environmental regulations lead to high gas prices. A note to California refugees: Please don’t vote for candidates here who advocate for the same policies that caused you to leave the Golden State.

This growth presents a long-term challenge. There are millions of undeveloped acres in Clark County, but less than 28,000 acres are available for development around the urban core. That’s only enough land for five to seven years of growth at the current usage rate of 4,000 to 5,000 acres a year. This land crunch is emblematic of the problems caused by the federal government controlling around 85 percent of the land in Nevada. States east of the Rocky Mountains don’t have this challenge. The federal owns less than 2 percent of the land in liberal meccas like New York and Massachusetts.

Clark County shouldn’t have to go beg the federal government for permission to develop, but that’s what it will require. That’s why the Clark County Commission’s efforts to secure more developable land are so important. Clark County officials have been meeting diligently with stakeholders to prepare the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act for Nevada’s congressional delegation. Under that plan, the federal government would make available 42,000 acres of developable land around the urban area. Another 65,000 acres in rural parts of Nevada would also be made available.

Most of the land is south of Henderson and to the west of the I-15. Clark County officials want land near the interstate available for light industrial buildings. Other land would be zoned for housing. A greater supply of homes is essential for keeping home prices affordable in the Southern Nevada. This area also encompasses what may one day be a second major airport. Allowing more growth in areas like Mesquite and Laughlin would give people more living options.

Clark County can only do so much. Ultimately, it will be up to Nevada’s congressional delegation to muscle this plan through Congress. They should work diligently to do. Making more land available for private and productive use is necessary to ensure the valley’s long-term economic advancement.