Because there is no cemetery in or directly adjacent to Sparks, city staff along with the City's federal lobbyist Anja Graves has been in contact with the BLM and our federal delegation about the possibility of transferring federal lands for use primarily as a cemetery with other compatible recreation uses permitted.

The City of Sparks and the BLM have worked to identify the appropriate parcels of available and currently underutilized federal lands that would be appropriate for this project. The current preferred location has been identified within BLM property in the NW quadrant of the City of Sparks. A map has been attached, the BLM parcel is 035-080-05; the proposed lot is in the northern half of this parcel (Section 29) located in Township 20 North, Range 20 East.

The Nevada federal delegation is considering a Washoe County Lands bill and standalone bill request for a land transfer to the City for the primary purpose of a cemetery or other possible compatible use.

City staff along with the City’s federal lobbyist is working with the BLM and have identified land for future use as a cemetery for the general public or veterans and/or other public uses.  The process may be lengthy and could conceivably take a decade or more. 

However, if federal legislation is enacted, the City will work with the BLM to identify any costs associated with the administrative transfer such as environmental work, legal description, identification of existing rights, mineral report, mining claim validity examinations and conveyance documents. Additionally, City staff will work to identify a plan for management of the cemetery. Council will have the opportunity to hear more about, review and contribute to the process before the conveyance is finalized or the land is repurposed.

Approval of this resolution does not commit to the use of any city funds at this time, nor does it commit to the acceptance of any federal lands should federal legislation be enacted granting federal land to the City for the use of a cemetery or other compatible use in the designated area on the attached map.  It is merely the first step to enable the Nevada delegation to begin to spearhead a possible land transfer on behalf of the City.


 

The City Council could decide not to support the Resolution.

 

I move to endorse Resolution No. 3271 and support the conveyance of up to 40 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands to the City of Sparks for the development of a local public cemetery that may also include public recreation uses as appropriate.