51 



TESTIMO^fY OF SENATOR PAUL LAXALT. June 30. 1987 



of Section 5 of both S. 2698 and H.R. 5277 of the 2nd Session 

 of the 99th Congress. It was disapproved by the House and 

 eliminated from H.R. 5277. With that experience in mind, its 

 inclusion in the same form in S. 59 and H.R. 267 could prevent 

 passage of the Act by Congress. 



This bill, which deals only with Nevada, need not and 

 should not be the forum for solving controversial and complex 

 national issues as to water rights , especially when there is 

 little water on the lands affected by this bill over which to 

 argue. All the water on the lands in western Nevada is now 

 federally adjudicated. There is very little surface water in 

 the Spring Mountain Range addition. It would be a shame if 

 this bill, which has received widespread public support, were 

 to fail again over an issue which is largely inapplicable to 

 the pending legislation . 



To enhance the opportunity for passage of the 

 legislation, I would recommend that it contain the attached 

 language, which adeguately protects all interests and has been 

 approved by the Nevada State Engineer, the State Director of 

 the Department of Commerce and the National Forest Task Force 

 of Nevada, and would, I believe, be acceptable to the Forest 

 Service. Moreover, it respects the concerns, primarily of 

 western Senators and Representatives, in the premises. 



The lands subject to transfer to the jurisdiction of the 

 Forest Service deserve the improved management the Forest 

 Service can offer. As a contrast, the Forest Service spends 

 $2.00 per acre, the BLM spends $.43. 



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