153 



Siuthom Nevada's I»is V''jr)s hf-f loiol iJ m .^lc^^ ^^5 i..ie of IItg 

 fastest giowing rnx-as in the United States. Its watm i3i»!;Grt clijiv.te 

 is attractive tjo toiu-ists and residents. 'Hie Rprirnj I^'oiojitain 

 R^n'je is less tlian an liouc's drive from t'le city, ur'd is tlio only 

 place of its kind in TouUic-j n M.jvada v.nero pxiple may <jo to o-^ca^xB 

 tlie heat, picnic aiid c^iiip i_n pLie for^-sts, i.>Tay in llio snow, ski, 

 hike by alpine ciccks aJid v.-aterfalls, and clinib the rocky peaks. 



Tiie ranye is an ii;i[X)rt."uit wateishoti for tlie L:is Ve<jas valley, 

 providing ni^re than 25% of its -.vator. UV; notxi the U.S. Pt)ir:st 

 Service's vvator.-iliod n"'..yiagcui..-nt e>ix->rtise to a;jsuje our pn^cious 

 water resource for future gi -ncraticns. 



U'e need to s-ave the A'-nu-ican ta>i5ayors noney by h.iving only 

 oiie agency manage the Spring i"'t)iuit<3in Range. 



By increasing Forest SerA'ice l.^jids and putting nxjre green an 

 the iiHps, Nevada can inciease its tourism industry. Nevada's great 

 need for cconciuic diversification will be realized nure fully as 

 nure dollars flow to Nevada fiom visitors wh.o learn tliat Nevada 

 is much inore than a desert KasteLmd. 



Mining rights will not be affcK:ted, as the lilJ^ continues to 

 manage all subsurface rT3sources on Et>rest Ser-vice lands in the 

 United States. 



Water rights, the st iriibling block for the 1986 Enliancement 

 Act, sliould be resolved r<M. I v.'ould suggest to you the following 

 language, as developed by Tlie National Forest Task Force of 

 Nevada. Under Sect^ion 8 of the current bill. Water Pdghts, delete 

 item (b) and replace it with tliis new item (b) v;ording: 



(b) Nothing in this Act sliall be construed to establish 

 a new express or iirplied reservation to the United States of 

 any \srater or water right witli respect to the land described 

 in the Act: Provided, tliat the United States shall be entitled 

 to only that express or iirplied reserved water right necessary 

 and limited to primnry purposes of the land transferred to 

 Forest Service jurisdiction and further limited to tJiose 

 minimum quantities of water required to carry out the primary 

 purpose of the reservation. Any such right carries a date 

 of priority of the date of enactment of this legislation. 

 Further provided that this liransfer shall not result in any 

 adverse affect or inpact on existing water rights. 



Nevadans want more U.S. Forest Service lands put aside as an 

 investnent for future generations. ViJhereas tJie BlJ^i's distirict offices 

 may dispose of public lands as they see fit, USFS -designated 

 lands remain intact unless altered by Congress. 



We in Nevada trust you, our nation's leaders, as custodians 

 of our national heritage, to bank savings of resources for generations 

 of /Americans yet to come. It is for tliese reasons we Americans who 

 live in Nevada also feel t±iat all the forest lands in the U.S. 

 should be preserved as U.S. Ftorest Service lands for all Americans 

 to enjoy for generations to come. 



