Federal land managers are considering a plan to protect more than 300,000 acres of public land in Nye County’s Amargosa Valley from further mineral exploration and extraction.
The Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, has called for a 20-year mineral rights withdrawal in the area surrounding Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The move would block new mining claims in the area.
Support for the withdrawal coalesced in 2023, when a Canadian mining company proposed to drill for lithium near the refuge. Opponents persuaded the BLM to consider blocking similar future proposals.
Mason Voehl is with the Amargosa Conservancy, one of the groups pushing for the withdrawal. He says the decision is a victory for rural communities, tribal nations, and conservationists.
“The Amargosa watershed as a whole probably contains over 75 endemic species that are only found in the Amargosa. So, it's really one of our last, best, most intact biodiversity hotspots left in the American West.”
The BLM’s notice suspends mining development in the proposed area for two years. During that time land managers are expected to conduct an environmental review.
The Canadian company says it retains its right to develop its claim.
