Washington, D.C. – Following a push by U.S.Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), the U.S. Department of the Interior has begun the process of protecting the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Nevada along with its surrounding watershed. The process would culminate in a full withdrawal of approximately 269,000 acres of public land in the Amargosa River watershed from eligibility for mining operations.
“The incredible biodiversity of the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is being threatened by proposals for invasive, unproductive exploratory mining, which is why I called on the Department of the Interior to protect it,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m glad the Biden-Harris Administration is stepping in to ensure we preserve the unique ecological system and the critical water resources the region provides. I urge the incoming Trump Administration to follow suit and complete the land withdrawal.”
In 2024, Cortez Masto met with local leaders at Ash Meadows NWR to discuss her work to safeguard the refuge. These critical wetlands are home to Death Valley National Park; residents of Amargosa Valley in Nye County, Nevada; and 26 endemic species that live nowhere else on Earth. This move by the administration will protect the biodiversity of the region, local communities and economies, and cultural resources for Tribes in the area.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a champion for Nevada’s great outdoor spaces and public lands. She successfully pushed the Biden Administration to initiate protections for Nevada’s pristine Ruby Mountains from oil and gas leasing. She passed critical legislation to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects public lands in Nevada and across the U.S. Cortez Masto introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to restore Lake Tahoe, and she delivered critical funding to protect Lake Tahoe in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She also helped pass the historic Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law and provides robust funding to preserve and maintain public lands across the country.
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