Friday, April 22, 2005 | 9:43 a.m.
Las Vegas and state officials insist that Floyd Lamb State Park and the undeveloped acreage surrounding it will be used only for recreational purposes if the park is transferred to the city.
Their position is based largely on a 2003 state law that enabled the city to apply for ownership of the 680 acres in the northwest valley, northeast of Durango Drive and Racel Street, as long as the land remained used only for recreational purposes.
The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday voted 4-3 to acquire the park from the state, which has wanted to rid itself of ownership because of its struggle to afford the maintenance costs.
The city, believing it can do a better job managing the historic venue -- fossils dating back 13,000 years have been found there -- has estimated that it would cost $1.3 million a year to provide maintenance and security for the park.
The transfer must now be approved by the state Board of Examiners -- made up of Gov. Kenny Guinn, Attorney General Brian Sandoval and Secretary of State Dean Heller -- which is expected to take up the proposal at its May 10 meeting.
"Philosophically, the governor feels that local governments have more resources and better resources to manage parks," Guinn spokesman Greg Bortolin said.
If approved by the board, the transfer will then have to be approved by the Nevada Legislature.
If the Legislature does not act by the time its current session ends in early June, the issue will be referred for approval to its Interim Finance Committee, which would likely take up the matter this summer.
Under the city's proposal, the 60 acres of the park that is already developed for passive recreation, such as fishing ponds and historic buildings, will remain under that designation.
The remaining 620 acres of undeveloped land would also remain restricted to recreational uses but those uses could be more intensive than the 60 acres that are already developed. If the park transfer is approved, the city and state intend to draw up a new master plan that will identify the preferred recreational uses for that land.
"Whether it is restricted to bicycle or horseback trails or used for go-carts or for a shooting range, we don't yet know," Chris Knight, the city's director of administrative services, said.
Because money has been used from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to help maintain the park, any new recreational uses the city chooses to pursue on all 680 acres would have to be approved by the National Park Service, state parks administrator David Morrow said.
"The uses would be restricted to outdoor recreation," Morrow said.
In addition, the state would allow the city to assume its lease of 1,055 acres of undeveloped land owned by the federal Bureau of Land Management that is north and east of the 680 acres. The city has already applied to the BLM to take over the lease -- an application that was filed a couple of years ago in anticipation of a possible transfer of the park.
In order for the lease to be approved, the city would have to wait for a 45-day public comment period to expire, BLM spokeswoman Kirsten Cannon said. That clock would run sometime after the state approves transfer of the park to the city.
"If there are no negative comments, BLM will approve transfer of the lease," Cannon said.
The BLM land can be used for recreation and for other public purposes under federal law but not for buildings such as residential developments.
Morrow said the state has been working on the transfer agreement with the city for at least a year. He believes the proposal from the city is workable.
Under the city's proposal, the state would help maintain the park for the next two years to give the city time to gradually take over maintenance responsibilities.
"We wanted the city to work out an agreement that protected the park as well as the city's interests and I think this agreement does that," Morrow said.
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