Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S.Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led a letter signed by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) urging the Department of the Interior to protect Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) by prohibiting mining on federal public land in the Amargosa River watershed. This action would ensure that the area’s critical water source is not disrupted – which would be devastating for Ash Meadows NWR, Death Valley National Park, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and residents of the Amargosa Valley in Nye County.
“The ecosystem at Ash Meadows NWR is entirely dependent on groundwater. Recent proposals for exploratory mineral drilling and extraction near the Refuge boundary pose an immediate threat to the integrity of this fragile ecosystem,” the lawmakers wrote.
“In response to this threat, there is widespread support to enhance protections for this unique ecological system,” they continued. “…Formally withdrawing these lands from new mining and exploration would preserve the crucial and culturally-significant water resources in and around Ash Meadows, Death Valley, and Amargosa Valley from additional harm. Maintaining the integrity of this watershed is not only important for conserving the unique plants and animals that live in this special place, but it also helps protect the water source for the surrounding communities.”
Earlier this year, Cortez Masto met with local leaders at Ash Meadows NWR to discuss her work to safeguard the refuge. A 20-year mineral withdraw for federal land around Ash Meadows would ensure that no new mining claims could be filed within this environmentally sensitive area. This request is supported by the Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Council, the Nye County Board of Commissioners, the Nye County Water District, and both the town boards of Amargosa Valley and Beatty.
You can read the full letter HERE.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a champion for Nevada’s great outdoor spaces and public lands. 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. She is pushing legislation to permanently protect Nevada’s Ruby Mountains through her Ruby Mountains Protection Act to prohibit oil and gas development in the area.
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