Nevada Dem Senators Rosen, Masto try to block oil, gas development in Ruby Mountains

(The Center Square) - U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, both D-Nevada, reintroduced legislation seeking to prevent oil and gas development in the Ruby Mountains.

Last week, the federal government canceled the Biden administration’s proposed plan to ban oil and gas drilling for 20 years in the mountain range’s 264,000 acres of public land.

Rosen said the Trump administration is “taking reckless and unproductive steps” to harm Nevada’s lands that have a small chance of getting oil and gas production.

“I’ll keep pushing back against this wrongheaded approach that threatens the Ruby Mountains and other beautiful parts of our state,” Rosen said.

The Ruby Mountains Protection Act would withdraw 450,000 acres from oil and gas leasing in the Ruby Mountain Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

In addition, this bill would expand protection to the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is 40,048 acres.

Cortez Masto’s press release says this bill will not interfere with hunting, hiking and fishing activies around the area.

The senator introduced this piece of legislation last year. It made it out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with bipartisan support. However, the bill did not get a vote on the Senate floor.

Cortez Masto also introduced this bill in 2019 and 2021.

She said this type of economic activity would harm Northern Nevada’s tourism industry.

“The natural beauty of the Ruby Mountains is beloved by locals and draws tourists from across the country,” she explained.

Last year, Nevada’s tourism brought the state almost $100 billion in revenue.

In 2019, the U.S. Forest Service rejected a proposal to have 53,000 acres of the mountain range opened up for oil and gas exploration.