(Washington, DC) – United States Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) teamed with Congressmen Mark Amodei (NV-02), Joe Heck (NV-03), and Cresent Hardy (NV-04) to introduce the Nevada Land Sovereignty Act of 2015. Congressman Amodei introduced a companion bill in the United States House of Representatives. The legislation prevents the threat of executive action designating or expanding national monuments without Congressional approval or local support.

“Currently, with a quick stroke of the pen, the executive branch can lock up millions of acres of public land without consulting the public or their representation in Congress. With more than 85 percent of Nevada’s land already managed by the federal government, public input and local support are critical to the decision-making process when changing federal land designations. This legislation ensures Congress and local officials are not bypassed by the executive branch when it comes to proposed national monuments in Nevada,” stated Senator Heller.

“There is no good reason for major land-use decisions in Nevada to be done in secret without input from the local community and their elected representatives,” said Amodei. “This Administration has repeatedly said it does not need Congress. Our bill simply states, ‘Oh yes you do.’”

Congressman Joe Heck added, “As the owners of more than 80% of our state’s land already, it should not be too much trouble to ask the federal government to allow Nevadans, their elected representatives, and the Congress to decide the locations and names of national monuments. Nevadans know our land and our monuments better than Washington bureaucrats. I thank my friends Congressman Mark Amodei and Senator Dean Heller for their leadership on this issue and urge the House and Senate to quickly pass this commonsense bill.”

“It’s important for Nevadans to decide how to use the land they live on. This gets back to one of the primary issues I’m personally focused on: the right of the states to determine what’s best for them – instead of allowing unilateral action by the president.” Hardy stated. “It’s encouraging to have my friends Congressman Mark Amodei and Senator Dean Heller taking the lead on this, and I encourage my colleagues to get this passed immediately.”