A home on the range where developers can play (delay for Dem congress)

[NVMojo]

September 15, 2006

A large coalition of environmental groups is challenging legislation by Nevada's two U.S. senators that would create almost 550,000 acres of wilderness in White Pine County but allow private development on other federal land.

The environmentalists say that surrendering 45,000 acres in that county to development in exchange for wilderness protection is a bad deal that a Congress controlled by Democrats would be less likely to approve. The groups want a delay to see whether Democrats succeed in taking control of the House or Senate in the Nov. 7 elections.

The White Pine County bill is one of four pieces of legislation the environmental groups oppose. The others involve similar land-use exchanges in Idaho and Utah.

"All of them have this quid pro quo strategy of giving away public land in one place for protection in another place," said Janine Blaeloch, director of the Western Lands Project. "If wilderness is going to be protected, it should not happen at the cost of losing the rest of our public lands."

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http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/sep/15/566661806.html