What Just Happened?
Kim Liebhauser just walked away from her job. She was running the Bureau of Land Management office in Southern Nevada. But after less than two months, she took a buyout offer from the Trump administration and left.
“I had decided to take part in the deferred resignation/retirement program,” Liebhauser wrote in an email to her staff. Her last day at the office was March 7.
This isn’t just about one person changing jobs. It’s about who controls the land where you live.
Why This Matters to Conservatives
The Southern Nevada Bureau of Land Management office controls nearly 90% of the land in Clark County. That’s a lot of power in the hands of federal workers who might not even live here.
The Bureau of Land Management is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It decides what happens with all that land. Should it be developed? Protected? Sold? These decisions affect your neighborhood, your housing costs, and your tax dollars.
Many conservatives believe local people should make these choices, not Washington bureaucrats. Governor Joe Lombardo agrees. He’s been pushing to make more of this land available for affordable housing.
Governor Takes Action on Federal Land Crisis
Last month, Governor Lombardo sent a letter to state legislative leaders asking for their help in freeing up federal land.
“Nearly 87% of Nevada’s land is controlled by the federal government, significantly limiting developers’ ability to increase the housing supply,” Lombardo wrote to Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager.
The governor warned that Washoe County could run out of land to build on by 2027. Clark County might face the same problem by 2032.
With his letter, Lombardo included a draft resolution calling on Congress and the President to “take immediate and decisive action” to release federal lands in Nevada.
The resolution states that federal control “infringes upon Nevada’s sovereignty” and contradicts “the constitutional principle of equal footing” with other states.
Lombardo Backs Interior Secretary Burgum
Governor Lombardo has been a vocal supporter of Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who was confirmed on February 1. Lombardo joined 25 other Republican governors in urging the Senate to confirm Burgum, citing his record of cutting red tape and promoting energy production as North Dakota’s governor.
This matters greatly for Nevada, where the Interior Department’s decisions directly impact over 80% of the state’s land. Last year, Lombardo asked President Biden to release federally-held lands to help solve the Las Vegas housing crisis.
With Burgum now leading Interior, there’s hope among conservatives for policies that emphasize collaboration over control and respect state sovereignty. For Nevada, this could mean a more balanced approach to managing public lands and potentially freeing up areas for development.
The Housing Problem
Las Vegas Valley folks are struggling to find affordable homes. Mortgage rates are high. Building has slowed down. Construction costs more. And there’s not enough land to build on.
In February, Governor Lombardo pressed state lawmakers to tell the federal government to release land for housing. He wants local control, not federal control.
What the Other Side Says
Those who support federal control argue the government needs to protect public lands from overdevelopment. They worry that turning land over to local control might lead to environmental problems or unplanned growth.
What Might Happen Next
The Trump administration appears to be thinning the ranks of federal land managers. This could signal a shift toward more local control of public lands.
If more federal land becomes available, we might see more housing development, lower home prices, more growth in Southern Nevada, and less federal oversight of local land.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
