Meet The 5 Largest Landowners In Nevada

Nevada may be famous for Las Vegas, but there is a lot of land outside of the glitzy city. The seventh largest state by area in the United States, Nevada is home to sprawling cattle ranches and mining operations. Mines include gold, silver, copper, plus a variety of other minerals.

But who owns the most land in Nevada? You may be surprised to find the answer. Read on for our list of the five largest landowners in Nevada.

1: The United States Government — 56 Million Acres

Nevada’s largest landowner is the United States government. The U.S. government owns more than 80% of Nevada’s land area. Out of Nevada’s nearly 70.2 million acres, the government owns nearly 56 million acres. 

This makes Nevada a “public state” land, meaning the majority of the land is managed by the federal government. Nevada is the number one state in the country with the most land owned by the federal government. Comparatively, the second in line is Alaska, where the government owns nearly 61%.

The federal government protects several of Nevada’s most popular attractions, including Lake Tahoe, the Great Basin National Park, and Red Rock Canyon. Most of the land owned by the government is in the western half of the state. The western portion is more mountainous and less hospitable to farming and ranching.

2: Nevada Gold Mines LLC — 2 Million Acres

A merger between the Barrick Gold Corporation and the Newmont Corporation to form the company, the Nevada Gold Mines LLC, made it the largest landowner in Nevada after the federal government. The largest mining operation in the state, the mines include 10 underground and 12 open pit mines.

A major source of revenue for Nevada, Nevada Gold Mines employs over 7,000 people in the state and pays a large portion of state taxes. Furthermore, in a recent tax filing, the Nevada Gold Mines was revealed to be the second-largest taxpayer in Nevada, behind only MGM Resorts.

3: New Nevada Resources — 500,000 Acres

Founded in 2011, the real estate developer, New Nevada Resources, is headquartered in Reno, NV. The company owns approximately 500,000 acres of land across the state. This makes it one of the largest private landowners in Nevada. According to its LinkedIn profile, the company currently has hundreds of thousands of acres of Nevada land for sale or for lease in the northern region of the state near Reno, NV. Additionally, the company has ownership of one million acres of mineral rights across the state.

4: Paul Fireman — 247,500 Acres

Owning 247,500 acres of land, Paul Fireman is the owner of the Winecup Gamble Ranch, a working cattle ranch located about 80 miles northeast of Elko, NV. The sprawling property is one of the largest ranching operations in the West and includes nearly 950,000 acres of land. However, the federal government owns most of the land at 558,080 acres. 

A portion of the historic ranch was once owned by actor Jimmy Stewart who bought the Winecup portion in 1953 and owned it for four years. Fireman has owned the ranch since 1993 and brought it successfully back from a string of owners and mismanagement.

5: Ellison Family – 156,000 Acres

The Ellison family owns the Ellison Ranching Co., which began in Utah and expanded into Nevada. In business for over 100 years, the family currently owns cattle ranches in Elko and Lander counties that consist of over 2 million acres of land. However, the vast majority of the land is federally leased. The Ellison Family owns the deed to 156,000 acres.

Ellison Ranching Co., headquartered at the Spanish Ranch, is in the dry region of the Great Basin. According to the Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the company ranks in the top 25 largest cow-calf operations in the country.

Wildlife in Nevada

Nevada is a mountainous state with only two major metro areas. Aside from Las Vegas-Henderson and Reno-Carson City, the land is mainly rural. Therefore, you will find many types of species in the state that thrive in desert conditions. For example, the elusive Gila monster, the only venomous lizard in the U.S., makes its home in Nevada. Additionally, other desert-loving species include scorpions, snakes, and the desert tortoise. 

Wildlife you can find around urban areas where vegetation and sources of water are present include coyotes, black bears, mule deer, and mountain lions. 

Summary of the 5 Largest Landowners in Nevada

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Tashka