Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025

Senate Bill

S. 2042

119th Congress

Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025

In Committee

Introduced:Jun 11, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Tammy Duckworth

Senator

Democratic

IL

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary

This bill would allow the construction of a water pipeline through a protected conservation area in Nevada. It would expand the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and grant rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for building and operating the pipeline.

Latest Action

Held at the desk.

SponsorTammy Duckworth (D-IL)

Introduced6/11/2025

StatusRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

ChamberSenate

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025

This bill would allow the construction of a water pipeline through a protected conservation area in Nevada. It would expand the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and grant rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for buildin

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill would allow the construction of a water pipeline through a protected conservation area in Nevada. It would expand the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and grant rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for building and operating the pipeline.

Bill Number: 2042
Sponsor: Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Introduced: 6/11/2025
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Policy Area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025
Bill Number: 2042
Sponsor: Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced: 6/11/2025
Summary: This bill would allow the construction of a water pipeline through a protected conservation area in Nevada. It would expand the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and grant rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for building and operating the pipeline.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would allow the construction of a water pipeline through a protected conservation area in Nevada. It would expand the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and grant rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for building and operating the pipeline.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline ActThis bill expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities. Specifically, the bill requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which administers the conservation area, to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities. Rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources.    In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials. The bill also adds approximately 9,000 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada by about 9,000 acres
Grants rights-of-way through the conservation area to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for building and operating a water transmission pipeline and related facilities
Allows the water authority to excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials needed for tunneling the pipeline
Requires the pipeline construction to avoid permanently adversely affecting the conservation area's surface resources
Ensures the pipeline does not go through or under any designated wilderness areas

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If this bill becomes law, it would primarily affect residents and businesses in southern Nevada that rely on water supplied by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The expanded conservation area and pipeline construction could also impact outdoor recreation and wildlife in the Sloan Canyon region. Local environmental groups may be concerned about the potential impact on the protected conservation area.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Related Subjects

Geography and mapping

Land use and conservation

Nevada

Pipelines

Water use and supply

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

2042, 119th Congress (2025). "Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-2042

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