Why does Washington own 80 percent of Nevada? Stossel says it’s time to sell

By Amy Groves  

Nevada News and Views

Conservative journalist John Stossel has a new column, “Wasted Land,” making a simple point: the federal government owns huge chunks of America — and manages much of it poorly.

He starts with a fact most people don’t realize: “The federal government owns about a third of America.”

Here in Nevada, it’s much worse. More than 80 percent of our state is federally controlled.

That’s the highest percentage in the nation, and it’s squeezing our ability to build homes, expand businesses, and plan for the future.

Gov. Joe Lombardo has been blunt: Nevada needs an “immediate and systematic release of federal land.”

Without it, Washoe County could run out of developable land by 2027, and Clark County by 2032.

Land Mismanagement Fuels Fire Risk

Stossel points to one of the clearest failures of federal control: fire prevention.

“Fires on federal lands accounted for more than half of the acres burned,” he quotes from the Congressional Budget Office.

The problem is simple. Federal bureaucrats drag their feet on controlled burns and removing deadwood, the very fuel that makes fires more destructive.

Nevada towns near forest land are left paying the price when D.C. doesn’t act.

Parks in Disrepair, Billions Behind

The government also can’t keep up basic maintenance. “The Park Service is $23 billion behind on repairs,” Stossel reports.

Trails, restrooms, and roads fall apart while Washington insists on holding more land. That hurts tourism and safety across the West, including Nevada’s Red Rock and Great Basin.

Activists Say “Never Sell”

Whenever anyone suggests selling or leasing land, environmental activists sound the alarm.

Stossel interviewed Jennifer Mamola of The John Muir Project, who insisted the government must keep every acre “to solve our biodiversity crisis.”

When pressed, she even blamed ordinary weather on climate change, pointing to a recent hurricane as “unprecedented.”

Stossel pushed back: “No, it’s not. Hurricanes hit North Carolina all the time.” He also cites the EPA: “The last 50 years have actually been wetter than average.”

A Smarter Alternative: Multiple-Use Land

Critics imagine the worst. Climate activists warn of “the Grand Canyon filled with oil rigs.”

But as Stossel explains, that’s false: “We’re not going to do parks. They made it up!”

The real idea is to transfer or lease “multiple-use” land — areas already meant for grazing, logging, or energy production.

William Pendley, who once ran the Bureau of Land Management, told Stossel: “The best forest managers are tribes and states because they’ve got skin in the game.”

Nevada on the Front Lines

Stossel closes with a warning: “Washington bureaucrats don’t need to control half the West.”

He’s right. Nevada can’t keep building homes or protecting communities if D.C. keeps a lock on our land.

Leasing or selling just a fraction would bring in revenue, cut debt, reduce fire risk, and let local people make smarter choices.

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Amy. Groves is director of the Coalition for Housing Freedom. You can contact her at amy@nevadasfinestproperties.com.