Nevadans Want Federals Out,
Support Ranching And Mining

RENO, Nev. —(AP)— Most Nevadans think the federal government should not manage public lands, but they don't agree on who should, according to a study by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The study also found strong support for ranching, mining and wild horses.

The survey, conducted in 1997, asked residents in all of the state's 17 counties for their opinions on land uses and management. Ed Smith, one of five researchers who worked on the project, said the study will provide a solid basis for land-use policies.

"Special-interest groups often say that a certain thing is what the people want, and so we decided to find out what the people really did want," he said.

The researchers found that rural and urban respondents alike support ranching and livestock grazing on public land, and that most don't want the federal government managing the land. Only 20 percent of the respondents in either group expressed satisfaction with current land management.

The respondents split on who should oversee the land. Urban respondents, defined as those within Carson City, Washoe, Douglas and Clark counties, said they want well-educated, trained experts to decide.

Rural respondents in the remaining 13 counties said local people should manage the land.

More than half of each group — 66 percent of urban and 75 percent of rural respondents — said the federal government should turn some public land over to the states.

The survey also found plenty of support for different land uses, with most respondents supporting livestock grazing and mining. Almost 70 percent of urban residents said wild horses have as much right to graze on public lands as other animals, and that the horse herds should be managed to protect the land. Almost 60 percent of rural residents agreed.

Most also said proper management can result in compatible land uses by both livestock and wildlife, and that a balance between economic and environmental health can be struck. Almost all of the respondents said rural economic factors should be considered in land-use decisions.

Nearly all the respondents rated management of public land as important, but only 33 percent rated themselves well-informed on public-land management. More than half of urban dwellers and 66 percent of rural dwellers said they would like to be more involved in addressing public land needs.

The study was funded by the UNR Cooperative Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.