Threatens to bring chaos to a crown jewel of the nation’s public lands system and upend public lands protection as we know it
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2026 Contact: Kris Deutschman, kris@conservationlands.org, Bertha Gutiérrez, bertha@conservationlands.org Las Vegas, NV - The Conservation Lands Foundation celebrates the passing of the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act (H.R. 972) led by Representative Dina Titus (D-Nevada) and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), which expands Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Southern Nevada by almost 9,300 acres as mitigation for important water infrastructure needed in Southern Nevada. The bill, which passed unanimously in both the House and Senate, is now headed to the President’s desk for his signature. The bill ensures that a water pipeline project by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) may be constructed underground through the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. The authority to grant right-of-way access to SNWA in a permanently protected area had to be granted by Congress. “The Horizon Lateral project is an example of how infrastructure projects on National Conservation Lands can have minimal ground disturbance, mitigate anticipated impacts, and address community needs while ensuring the objects and values for which the area was protected remain protected. This legislation is a positive example of a bill that strikes a balance between conservation and development with input from local advocates. We applaud the leadership and commitment of Senator Cortez Masto and Representative Dina Titus to advance balanced public lands legislation” said Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer at the Conservation Lands Foundation.
