Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2016

Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2016

This bill directs the Forest Service to convey approximately 67 acres of certain Forest Service land (Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park) to the state of Nevada for the conservation of wildlife or natural resources or for a public park.

Subject to the agreement of the permit holder, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall include in the permit for operation of the Zephyr Cove Resort the approximately 44.7 acres of National Forest System land identified as the Zephyr Shoals.

The Forest Service, for National Forest System land, and the Department of Interior, for land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), shall convey approximately 7,951 acres of specified federal land to Douglas County, Nevada, for flood control or any other public purpose.

USDA shall implement a cooperative management agreement for the approximately 13 acres of land identified as the Tahoe Rim Trail North Parcel to: (1) improve the quality of recreation access to such land by providing additional amenities agreed to by the parties to the agreement, and (2) conserve the natural resource values of the land.

The Forest Service or Interior, as appropriate, shall conduct one or more sales of specified federal lands in the county to qualified bidders, with the option for the state or county to obtain the land for public purposes before the land is offered for sale.

All U.S. interest in the approximately 1,011acres of certain federal land and certain land administered by the BLM or Forest Service (Section 5 lands) shall be held in trust for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, and become part of the Tribe's reservation. Certain gaming cannot be conducted on such land.

The bill designates approximately 12,330 acres of specified federal land managed by the BLM, to be known as the Burbank Canyons Wilderness, as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The bill also releases the approximately 1,065 acres of public land in the Burbank Canyons Wilderness study area not designated as wilderness by this Act from further study for designation as wilderness.

USDA may transfer from the Forest Service to Nevada or Douglas County, in coordination with the local forest unit, certain lands or interests in Forest Service land which are unsuitable for Forest Service administration.