Congressman Amodei working hard for his Northern Nevada Bill
On September 14, 2026, Congressman Mark Amodei's Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025 (H.R. 2317) passed the House by at voice vote and was send to the Senate. While it is a slim chance, at the end of 2026 after the mid-term elections it is possible that some portion of this bill including the Pershing County Wilderness could be enacted. There is also a Senate version of the Pershing Bill. On March 27, 2025 Senator Jacky Rosen reintroduced the Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act to expand protections for and improve the management of public lands in the County, and create new conservation and recreation opportunities, while ensuring the revenue from land sales stay in Pershing County. We are grateful to both Senator Rosen and Congressman Amodei for their continued work on this bill.
The Pershing County title of the bill would create seven new Wilderness Areas in Pershing County and help resolve the more than century-old checkerboard pattern of land ownership that inhibits use of the land for both conservation and economic development purposes.It would designate more than 136,000 acres of new Wilderness Areas:
- Fencemaker - at the northern end of the Stillwater Range (Much of the range to the south in Churchill County received permanent conservation designations in 2022 legislation)
- Grandfathers' (Tobin Crest)
- Cain Mountain (Portions of the former Augusta Mountains WSA have already been designated as Cain Mountain Wilderness in Lander and Churchill Counties)
- Bluewing
- Selenite Peak
- Mt. Limbo
- North Sahwave
And thanks to Senator Jacky Rosen who reintroduced her version of the bill which would also transfer land into trust to the Lovelock Paiute Tribe to expand their tribal cemetery.
Overall, the bill protects a significant amount of land for conservation and recreation use for future generations; keeps proceeds from the sale of a limited amount of public land in Pershing County to buy, conserve and protect additional sensitive lands; allows current mining claim holders to contribute to the Pershing County economy and resolves the unmanageable checkerboard land pattern that has strangled wise use of the land.
Previous versions of the bill have been supported by former and current Nevada elected officials. Friends is hopeful that the legislation will move through Congress this year and finally be signed into law.
