Clark County is trying to lock in a little pocket of wildlife real estate before it vanishes under new construction, asking federal officials to buy the six-acre Rainbow Owl Preserve in northwest Las Vegas to keep it from being developed and to protect burrowing owl nesting habitat. The Desert Conservation Program wants to tap Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act funds instead of county general treasury money, with an estimated price tag just above $3 million.
The land is already fenced and hemmed in by houses and busy roads, a tiny remnant of desert where volunteers and birding groups maintain artificial burrows and keep an eye on newly hatched chicks. If the purchase goes through, it would effectively lock a rare strip of functioning desert habitat inside the city's urban edge.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, the agency is seeking public comments on Clark County's proposal to acquire about six acres in northwest Las Vegas for an estimated $3,058,550, with the final sale price to be set by federal appraisal standards. Comments are being accepted through June 3, 2026, and may be emailed to [email protected] or delivered to the SNPLMA Executive Committee Chair at the BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive in Las Vegas. The BLM says the purchase would support Clark County's Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and would be funded through land-sale revenues under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.
What the preserve is
As reported by KTNV, the Rainbow Owl Preserve is a patchwork of small, fenced lots near Rainbow Boulevard and Jo Marcy Drive and near Donald Nelson Avenue and Rio Vista Street. Over roughly the last decade, more than 100 burrowing owls have fledged there. Local volunteers and birding groups help install and maintain artificial burrows and keep people and dogs away from nesting areas. Its urban location makes the site unusually accessible and also vulnerable to development pressure.
Local advocates and county staff
John Hiatt of the Red Rock Audubon Society, who helps steward the site, told KTNV that "this land, prior to purchase, was plotted out as eight lots and slated for development," and volunteers first noticed owls there around 2014. Kimberly Goodwin, the Desert Conservation Program's principal environmental specialist, told KTNV that the burrowing owl "is a fascinating species" and, while not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, "has been in decline for decades." Those on-the-ground observations are central to the program's case for buying the land.
Funding and next steps
The BLM's announcement notes that the acquisition would be paid with SNPLMA dollars, funds generated by federal land sales that are set aside for community projects including conservation. The Desert Conservation Program administers Clark County's Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, according to Clark County's Desert Conservation Program, and the BLM says the proposed purchase would support that plan. After the public-comment period closes on June 3, the nomination is set to move through SNPLMA committees and, if approved there, to the U.S. Interior Secretary for final sign-off.
Why it matters
Burrowing owls have declined across much of their range because of habitat loss and other pressures. While legal protections vary by state, the species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and is listed as a species of conservation concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Securing the Rainbow Owl Preserve would keep a small but productive nesting site intact inside an urban neighborhood, preserving opportunities for hands-on community stewardship, education, and for young birds to fledge in full view of nearby residents.
