Lombardo, Lee find common ground on bill that could speed federal land sales

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Gov. Joe Lombardo on Thursday endorsed a bill to expedite public land transactions that could free up land for housing construction in the Las Vegas area.

It’s a priority for both Republicans and Democrats in Southern Nevada, where federal land often restricts housing development that can only proceed in bursts as the Bureau of Land Management auctions off parcels.

Lombardo, a Republican, endorsed the bipartisan Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts (AACE) Act from U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev. Both see AACE as an effort to cut through federal red tape, allowing the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) to contract with private appraisers regardless of which state they were credentialed. The change could help clear bottlenecks caused by a shortage of qualified appraisers.

DOI would still be expected to prioritize working with local appraisers when they are available.

Open federal land, Lombardo urges as Biden pushes affordable housing program

“Nevada families deserve access to attainable housing – and that begins with eliminating governmental barriers to development,” Lombardo said. “Congresswoman Lee’s AACE Act will help eliminate federal red tape so we’re able to move more efficiently on new housing and infrastructure projects here in Nevada. As we seek innovative housing solutions in our state and across the country, I’m pleased to endorse this bipartisan legislation.”

The AACE Act has passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee, and has been widely endorsed — including the support of DOI, business and conservation groups.

“Affordable housing is a bipartisan issue and I’m glad that Governor Lombardo has endorsed my AACE Act — commonsense legislation to cut red tape and get housing, conservation, and infrastructure projects moving on public lands,” Lee. said.

“The AACE Act will give the Department of the Interior the flexibility it needs to more quickly get land deals done at no additional cost to the American taxpayer,” she said.

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