The Biden administration has announced steps to protect federal lands in Nevada's Ruby Mountains from President-elect Donald Trump's "Drill, baby, drill" agenda by petitioning to remove roughly 264,000 acres from energy development leasing.
The plan for the region, referred to as "Nevada's Swiss Alps," will stop any oil, gas, or geothermal development on the federal lands for about 20 years, the Washington Examiner reported Tuesday.
The Ruby Mountains range is known for its scenic landscape and wildlife that includes mountain goats and mule deer.
Mining will still be prevented in the area, and the land will remain open for recreational activities.
The area is also the ancestral homeland of the Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada, and the move to withdraw it from energy development has been welcomed by environmentalists and activists.
The ban has not yet taken effect, with the Department of Agriculture just this week submitting its withdrawal request and application to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
The Interior Department approved the application Monday to initiate its consideration of the 20-year withdrawal.
Haaland said Monday the administration is pursuing the land withdrawal after requests from "tribes, conservationists, sportsmen, and the local community."
"The Ruby Mountains are cherished by local communities for their scenic value, cultural heritage, numerous wildlife, and benefit to the local economy through a thriving outdoor recreation industry," she said.
The process also started a two-year ban on energy development in the region while the withdrawal application is considered, as well as kicking off a 90-day public comment period.
Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service will also develop an environmental analysis on whether the ban should be extended for up to 20 years, the longest period the Interior Department can pull back federal lands from energy leasing. Only Congress can issue a permanent withdrawal.
The administration's move comes just three weeks before Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, adding to other steps it has taken to block his plans for new leasing and support for the energy industry.
The Biden administration has also been working to complete millions of dollars in federal loans for climate-related projects that could be threatened under Trump.
The president-elect has vowed he will pull back green funding that has not been spent, which could risk programs that were promised funding through the Department of Energy's Loan Program Office.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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