Biden Targets Nevada Oil and Gas Leases with 20-Year Ban, Just Before Trump’s Inauguration
By Jake Beardslee ·
December 31, 2024
The Biden administration is making a final push to restrict oil and gas drilling in Nevada's western region as President-elect Trump's inauguration approaches. The Department of Interior has proposed a 20-year prohibition on oil and gas leases across 264,000 acres of the Ruby Mountains. Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The proposal triggers an immediate two-year moratorium on new mineral leases during the review process, followed by a 90-day public comment period that will extend into Trump's term. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized the area's significance, releasing a statement saying, "The Ruby Mountains are an iconic landscape with exceptional recreation opportunities and valuable fish and wildlife habitat worth preserving for the future." U.S. Department of Agriculture / Flickr
He noted that the decision "honors the voices of Tribal communities and conservation and sportsmen's groups and marks another important step to protect a treasured landscape." Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
While the lease restrictions don't affect mining operations, they represent a shift from previous approaches. During Trump's first term, the Forest Service evaluated 54,000 acres for potential oil and gas leasing in the region. The proposal was ultimately rejected in 2019 after widespread public opposition.
According to William Dunkelberger, the forest supervisor who signed the decision, they received "thousands of comments from the local area, the state of Nevada, and from across the nation" opposing the initiative, Fox News reported. Former district geologist Jenna Padilla had previously noted that geological surveys "show there is low to no potential for oil" in the area, according to the LA Times. United States Forest Service / Wikimedia
