WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The Biden administration has taken a significant conservation step ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration by moving to protect the Ruby Mountains in northeast Nevada from oil, gas, and geothermal development for the next 20 years.
The Interior Department on December 30th cleared the application filed by the US Forest Service regarding withdrawing 264,442 acres of federal lands within the Ruby Mountains from mineral and geothermal leasing. Such clearance would pave the way for a two-year provisional ban on any new projects to be conducted within the said region, initiating the public hearing of 90 days for a 20-year proposed withdrawal.
Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland said the Ruby Mountains mean a lot for local communities. “The Ruby Mountains are treasured for their scenery, cultural values, wildlife diversity, and the value to local communities from an active outdoor recreation economy,” said Haaland in a statement. “Today, we’re taking a significant and responsible step in stopping new oil and gas leasing so that we may ensure that we have the science and public input we need to make decisions that would affect proposals to protect the Ruby Mountains area for generations to come.”
President-elect Donald Trump vows to increase domestic oil and gas production. Thus, this move by President Biden could be consider a effort to thwart the incoming administration’s agenda. Biden has made safeguarding large parts of public lands a key component of his environmental agenda.
Though the area of Ruby Mountains will be off-limits for oil, gas, and geothermal leasing, the Interior Department clarified that mining claims would continue to be opened under the General Mining Law of 1872.
Now it is public review time with 90 days for commenting about the proposed long-term withdrawal of the area. The Ruby Mountains are essential parts of the economy of the locals, boosting the tourism industry besides outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, wildlife observation, and hunting. Besides wildlife, this is also home to several species like elk and bighorn sheep.
The decision came after years of pressure from conservation groups, which have long pushed for greater protections of the Ruby Mountains, renowned for their unique biodiversity and importance in the regional ecosystem.
