Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Patrick Donnelly/Center for Biological Diversity)
After an intense local campaign to protect a treasured wildlife refuge in the Amargosa Desert the federal government has proposed a two year pause on new mining claims on thousands of acres of public land in Nye County.
On Tuesday, the Department of the Interior announced its intent to pull nearly 270,000 acres of public land adjacent to Nevada’s Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from consideration for mineral and geothermal leasing.
Federal officials also announced their intent to launch a public process to review a full 20-year mineral withdrawal of the area to protect cultural, recreational, and biological resources in the Amargosa Valley. Wetland habitat in the refuge supports a dozen endangered and threatened species found nowhere else in the world, including the famed Devil’s Hole pupfish.
The campaign for the mineral withdrawal began in 2023, when Canadian mining company Rover Metals proposed drilling dozens of exploratory boreholes within 1,500 feet of Fairbanks Spring, a critical habitat for the endangered Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and the Ash Meadows speckled dace.
In response, the Amargosa Conservancy and the Center for Biological Diversity conservation groups filed a lawsuit in July 2023 against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). After fierce public pressure, the agency pulled their approval of the plan days later.
A subsequent agency review found that drilling exploratory boreholes less than a mile from the refuge would likely cause adverse impacts on groundwater that supports refuge wetlands, and could potentially harm threatened and endangered species that rely on springs for survival.
Efforts to permanently ban mining in the area surrounding the refuge have since gained widespread support. A full 20-year ban is supported by the Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Council, the Nye County Board of Commissioners, the Nevada Legislature Interim Natural Resources Committee, and both the town boards for the Amargosa Valley and Beatty.
Southern Nevada’s federal congressional delegation followed suit, calling on the federal government last year to prohibit mining on public land in the fragile Amargosa River watershed.
In a statement Tuesday, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto thanked the Biden administration for initiating the mineral withdrawal and urged the incoming Trump Administration to complete a full 20-year mineral withdrawal after the initial two year pause is concluded. Under Trump, the Department of the Interior will likely be headed by cabinet pick Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, whose approach to managing public lands is not entirely clear.
Nye County Commissioner Bruce Jabbour, who represents the area included in the mineral withdrawal, said he recognizes mining rights under Nevada law, but emphasized the need to “also prioritize the rights of the people of Amargosa, Beatty, Crystal, Timbisha Shoshone, Shoshone, and Tecopa.”
“This water resource is vital to every living thing in this region and aspect of our economy; without it, we face the devastating prospect of more ghost towns. Protecting our water is not optional; it is essential to our survival,” Jabbour said in a statement.
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe historic preservation officer, Mandi Campbell, who led the tribe’s lobbying efforts to support the mineral withdrawal called the action “a crucial step forward.”
The Timbisha Indian Village reservation sits on the edge of the Death Valley National Park, and is one of a handful of tribes to retain territory within the National Park system.
“Our elders and families living on reservation lands in Death Valley rely to this day on the water of the Amargosa River that is under threat in this region. This is a fight for our identity, our sovereignty, and our survival. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe will not stand by while the water that sustains our sacred traditions and future generations is stolen or poisoned,” Campbell said.
Under federal law, the Department of the Interior has the authority to withdraw lands from mineral extraction for up to 20 years by approving an application for mineral withdrawal submitted by the managing agency – in this instance, the BLM.
While a temporary two year pause is not a permanent solution, conservation groups say it will prevent new claims from being staked and greatly reduce mining companies’ interest in developing claims they already have in the area.
“This withdrawal is an important tool to stop the proliferation of mining claims near Ash Meadows,” said Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director for the Center for Biological Diversity, which originally sued the BLM for approving exploratory drilling in the area.
“But our work here is far from over,” Donnelly continued. “With hundreds of existing mining claims surrounding the refuge, we’ll remain vigilant with our attorneys on call in case another operation like Rover Metals tries mining here. We’ll be watching, and we’ll be ready.”
At least twenty-five species of plants and animals are only found in the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, one of the highest concentrations of endemic species found in the United States, according to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service.
Rover Critical Minerals did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the company has repeatedly rejected the claim that its exploratory drilling would damage any aquifers in the area and submitted new plans to drill last December after their first proposal was rescinded.
The Amargosa Conservancy, which played a major role in the public campaign to get a mineral withdrawal for the area, credited the victory to “a powerful coalition of communities, Tribes, and advocates united by a shared commitment to safeguarding the Amargosa River.”
“This is a pivotal moment in our shared fight to protect Ash Meadows, Death Valley, and the Amargosa Valley, but let’s be clear: this victory belongs to the people who call the valley home. They’ve shown us what true civic engagement looks like—organizing tirelessly, raising their voices, and standing up for the desert and for their families’ futures,” said Mason Voehl, the executive director of the Amargosa Conservancy.
The proposed mineral withdrawal area would also include about 40,000 acres of non-federal lands that would be subject to the withdrawal if they’re ever acquired by the federal government.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, the two year mining pause will also be subject to a 90-day public comment period, including a public meeting on the proposed withdrawal on February 27, 2025, at 5:30 pm Pacific time at the Amargosa Community Center.