Nevada
Biden admin advances review of Nevada lithium mine despite concerns over endangered wildflower
- The Biden administration has initiated an expedited environmental review for the Rhyolite Ridge mine in Nevada.
- Environmentalists vow to challenge the mine’s approval, arguing that it violates the Endangered Species Act and threatens the survival of an endangered wildflower.
- Nevada currently hosts the only existing lithium mine in the U.S., with another under construction.
The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its expedited environmental review of what could become the third lithium mine in the U.S., amid anticipated legal challenges from conservationists over the threat they say it poses to an endangered Nevada wildflower.
The Bureau of Land Management released more than 2,000 pages of documents in a draft environmental impact statement last week for the Rhyolite Ridge mine. Lithium is a metal key to the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles — a centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s “green energy” agenda.
Officials for the bureau and its parent Interior Department trumpeted the news, saying the progress in the review of the lithium-boron mine project “represents another step by the Biden-Harris administration to support the responsible, domestic development of critical minerals to power the clean energy economy.”
LESSER-KNOWN ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE US THREATENED BY FUNDING DISPARITIES
“Federal agencies cooperating to solve issues efficiently while protecting vulnerable species and other irreplaceable resources is exactly how we will need to move forward if we’re going to produce these critical minerals in the United States,” said Steve Feldgus, deputy assistant Interior secretary for land and minerals management.
This photo shows a Tiehm’s buckwheat plant near the site of a proposed lithium mine in Nevada on May 22, 2020. The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its expedited environmental review of what’s next in line to become only the third U.S. lithium mine, as conservationists fear it will lead to the extinction of the endangered Nevada wildflower near the California line. (Patrick Donnelly/Center for Biological Diversity via AP, File)
Environmentalists vowing to fight the mine say it’s the latest example of the administration running roughshod over U.S. protections for native wildlife and rare species in the name of slowing climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity, described it as “greenwashing extinction.” The nonprofit conservation group first petitioned in 2019 for federal protection of the rare flower, Tiehm’s buckwheat, which grows near the California line.
“We believe the current protection plan would violate the Endangered Species Act, so if BLM approves it as proposed, we almost certainly would challenge it,” he told The Associated Press last week.
SCIENTISTS SAY ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IS AS ESSENTIAL AS EVER AFTER 50 YEARS OF SUCCESS
Nevada is home to the only existing lithium mine in the U.S. and another is currently under construction near the Oregon line 220 miles north of Reno. By 2030, worldwide demand for lithium is projected to have grown six times compared to 2020.
The bureau said it published the draft review and opened public comment through June 3 for the new mine after Ioneer Ltd., the Australian mining company that’s been planning for years to dig for lithium at this site, adjusted its latest blueprint to reduce destruction of critical habitat for the plant, which exists nowhere else in the world.
Bernard Rowe, Ioneer’s managing director, said lithium production could begin as early as 2027. He said the company has spent six years adjusting their plans so the mine can co-exist with the plant, invested $2.5 million in conservation efforts and committed an additional $1 million annually to ensure the plant and its surrounding habitat are protected.
“Rhyolite Ridge will help accelerate the electric vehicle transition and secure a cleaner future for our children and grandchildren,” Ioneer Executive Chairman James Calaway said.
In addition to scaling back encroachment on the 6-inch-tall (15-centimeter-tall) wildflower with yellow and cream-colored blooms, the strategy includes a controversial propagation plan to grow and transplant flowers nearby — something conservationists say won’t work.
The plant grows in eight sub-populations that combined cover approximately 10 acres — an area equal to the size of about eight football fields. They’re located halfway between Reno and Las Vegas in a high-desert oasis of sorts for the plants and the insects that pollinate them.
The Fish and Wildlife Service added the flower to the list of U.S. endangered species on Dec. 14, 2022, citing mining as the biggest threat to its survival.
Less than a week later, the government published a formal notice of intent to begin work on the draft environmental impact statement. Three weeks after that, the Energy Department announced a $700 million conditional loan to Ioneer for the mining project it said could produce enough lithium to support production of about 370,000 electric vehicles annually for four decades.
The Center for Biological Diversity said a series of internal documents it obtained from the Bureau of Land Management through a request under the Freedom of Information Act show the administration has rushed its review of the mine.
Scott Distell, BLM’s project manager in charge of the review, raised concerns about the expedited schedule in an email to his district boss when it suddenly was accelerated in December 2023.
“This is a very aggressive schedule that deviates from other project schedules on similar projects completed recently,” Distell wrote in the Dec. 22 email.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The draft environmental impact statement lays out three different options for the project, including a “no-action alternative” that would mean no mine would be built. The one the bureau said it prefers anticipates Ioneer’s protection plan would allow for direct destruction of about 22% of the plant’s habitat in the 910 acres (368 hectares) the Fish and Wildlife Service designated as critical habitat when it listed it as endangered. That’s down from an estimated 38% in an earlier version of the plan.
“For an extremely rare species confined to such a small area, no amount of destruction of its critical habitat is acceptable,” said Naomi Fraga, director of conservation at the California Botanic Garden.
Donnelly points to the Endangered Species Act’s requirement that federal agencies consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service whenever a project could affect a threatened or endangered species to ensure it won’t “result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat.”
“Reducing the destruction of this rare plant’s habitat from 38% to 22% is like cutting off one leg instead of both,” Donnelly said. “They’re still dealing a fatal blow to this precious, rare wildflower.”
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — While Strip tourism declined this year, outdoor recreation across Nevada continues to grow, with some areas seeing increased business and new facilities opening to accommodate visitors.
Valley of Fire State Park reached 1 million visitors this year and recently opened a new $30 million visitors center. Lake Mead National Recreation Area also continues to draw tourists, including those taking holiday-themed rafting tours through Black Canyon.
Chad Taylor, director of operations for the Hospitality Division of Guest Services and Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, calls outdoor recreation an “enormous” boost for the state economy.
Last month, the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation (NDOR) released an Economic Impact Analysis finding that outdoor recreation is a $24 billion industry in Nevada, generating $13.7 billion in total economic output, supporting more than 75,000 jobs, and contributing $8.8 billion to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
NDOR reports outdoor recreation has officially surpassed the mining industry in GDP contribution and is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of Nevada’s economic diversification strategy.
The Hoover Dam Rafting Adventure, which has operated for more than four decades, saw slightly lower numbers this year for its 12-mile Colorado River tours starting at the base of the dam. Taylor said the rafting business typically follows Las Vegas tourism trends.
“As Las Vegas tourism increases or decreases, we typically see the same out here for the tour specifically,” Taylor said.
However, other outdoor properties showed growth. Taylor said Lake Mead properties, including Callville Bay, Cottonwood Cove, and Temple Bar, saw increased business this year.
Taylor, who sits on the governor’s advisory board for outdoor tourism, said the state is investing heavily in outdoor recreation infrastructure. Nevada is building Adventure Centers in Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada.
The Southern Nevada Adventure Center, under construction in Boulder City, will serve as a one-stop shop for booking outdoor activities. The facility is expected to open in summer 2026.
“Not only at the federal level, but the state level, the amount of energy and effort that they’ve put into outdoor recreation over the last few years, especially when it comes to the two new adventure centers that they’re building in Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada, they’re doubling down on outdoor recreation,” Taylor said.
The Hoover Dam rafting company continues its holiday-themed tours with Santa through Christmas Eve.
Reservations can be made at hooverdamraftingadventures.com or by calling (800) 455-3490.
Copyright 2025 KVVU. All rights reserved.
The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday put forward by Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei that would reinvigorate mining activity on federal lands.
Amodei, a Republican who represents the state’s top half, described the bill as strengthening the nation’s mineral supply chain and helping to counter China’s dominance with minerals.
“Western states are sitting on a wealth of resources and a critical opportunity to break our dangerous reliance on foreign adversaries while powering our own economy,” he said in a statement.
“The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act … gives domestic mining operations the certainty they need to compete aggressively and win.”
The bill passed 219 to 198. Republicans voted 210 in favor, 1 opposed and 9 not voting. Democrats voted 9 in favor, 197 opposed and 7 not voting. It was one of the House’s last actions before adjourning for the year.
Nevada delegation split on mining bill
Amodei was joined by Las Vegas Democrat Steven Horsford, who co-sponsored the bill in the House.
“Streamlining the hardrock mining process will create good jobs and strengthen our energy sector,” Horsford said.
The state’s other two House members — Democrats Susie Lee and Dina Titus — voted in opposition.
Titus spokesperson Dick Cooper told the Reno Gazette Journal that the congresswoman voted no because the bill would allow for increased dumping of mine waste on public lands.
“It would also allow mining companies to gain permanent rights to occupy public lands and preclude other uses including recreational and cultural uses,” he added.
It now heads to the Senate, where Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto will work to get it passed.
“This bill is common sense, and it’s key for communities across Nevada that count on mining for their livelihoods,” Cortez Masto said in a social media post.
Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, a Democrat, also supports it. She helped introduce the Senate companion version of Amodei’s bill.
“Nevada is one of the few places in the United States with an abundance of critical minerals and a robust hardrock mining industry,” Rosen said. “The responsible mining of these minerals supports thousands of jobs and will help to strengthen our domestic manufacturing and clean energy supply chains.”
What does Amodei’s Mining Regulatory Clarity Act do?
The bill is a response to a 2022 decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals involving the Rosemont Copper Mine in Arizona.
The decision basically meant that mining companies must prove valuable minerals exist on a piece of land before they can dump waste material on it. Called the “mineral validity” requirement, it disrupted decades of precedent.
Amodei’s bill would reverse that and allow the practice to resume of using nearby land for mining waste without proving the land contains commercial deposits — something mining companies say is essential for operating on federal land.
“This legislation ensures the fundamental ability to conduct responsible mining activities on federal lands,” said Rich Nolan, National Mining Association president and CEO, in a statement. “Regulatory certainty, or the lack thereof, will either underpin or undermine efforts to decisively confront our minerals crisis.”
The bill also creates an “Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund.” Some fees related to mining claims will be used to fund a program to inventory, assess and clean up abandoned hardrock mines.
Environmental groups blast House vote on Mining Regulatory Clarity Act
Some environmental groups campaigned against the bill and described it as choosing corporate interests over people, Native Americans’ rights and the environment.
Lauren Pagel, policy director for Earthworks, said the bill “will remove already-scarce protections for natural resources and sacred cultural sites in U.S. mining law.”
The Center for Biological Diversity said the bill surrenders public lands to mining conglomerates.
“The so-called Mining Regulatory Clarity Act would bypass the validity requirement and grant mining companies — including foreign companies — the statutory right to permanently occupy and indiscriminately use public lands upon approval of a company’s self-written plan of operations,” said the nonprofit conservation organization in an online post.
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
Nevada
California school district near Nevada caught up in a dispute over transgender athlete policies – WTOP News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Lake Tahoe school district is caught between California and Nevada’s competing policies on transgender student…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Lake Tahoe school district is caught between California and Nevada’s competing policies on transgender student athletes, a dispute that’s poised to reorder where the district’s students compete.
High schools in California’s Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, set in a mountainous, snow-prone area near the border with Nevada, have for decades competed in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, or NIAA. That has allowed sports teams to avoid making frequent and potentially hazardous trips in poor winter weather to competitions farther to the west, district officials say.
But the Nevada association voted in April to require students in sex-segregated sports programs to play on teams that align with their sex assigned at birth — a departure from a previous approach allowing individual schools to set their own standards. The move raised questions for how the Tahoe-Truckee district would remain in the Nevada association while following California law, which says students can play on teams consistent with their gender identity.
Now, California’s Department of Education is requiring the district to join the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, by the start of next school year.
District Superintendent Kerstin Kramer said at a school board meeting this week the demand puts the district in a difficult position.
“No matter which authority we’re complying with we are leaving students behind,” she said. “So we have been stuck.”
There are currently no known transgender student athletes competing in high school sports in Tahoe-Truckee Unified, district officials told the education department in a letter. But a former student filed a complaint with the state in June after the board decided to stick with Nevada athletics, Kramer said.
A national debate
The dispute comes amid a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have restricted transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams, barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school. At least 24 states have laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some of the policies have been blocked in court.
Meanwhile, California is fighting the Trump administration in court over transgender athlete policies. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender women and girls from participating in female athletics. The U.S. Justice Department also sued the California Department of Education in July, alleging its policy allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams violates federal law.
And Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has signedlaws aimed at protecting trans youth, shocked party allies in March when he raised questions on his podcast about the fairness of trans women and girls competing against other female athletes. His office did not comment on the Tahoe-Truckee Unified case, but said Newsom “rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids.”
The state education department said in a statement that all California districts must follow the law regardless of which state’s athletic association they join.
At the Tahoe-Truckee school board meeting this week, some parents and one student said they opposed allowing trans girls to participate on girls teams.
“I don’t see how it would be fair for female athletes to compete against a biological male because they’re stronger, they’re taller, they’re faster,” said Ava Cockrum, a Truckee High School student on the track and field team. “It’s just not fair.”
But Beth Curtis, a civil rights attorney whose children attended schools in Tahoe-Truckee Unified, said the district should fight NIAA from implementing its trans student athlete policy as violating the Nevada Constitution.
Asking for more time
The district has drafted a plan to transition to the California federation by the 2028-2029 school year after state officials ordered it to take action. It’s awaiting the education department’s response.
Curtis doesn’t think the state will allow the district to delay joining CIF, the California federation, another two years, noting the education department is vigorously defending its law against the Trump administration: “They’re not going to fight to uphold the law and say to you at the same time, ‘Okay, you can ignore it for two years.’”
Tahoe-Truckee Unified’s two high schools with athletic programs, which are located about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in elevation, compete against both California and Nevada teams in nearby mountain towns — and others more distant and closer to sea level. If the district moves to the California federation, Tahoe-Truckee Unified teams may have to travel more often in bad weather across a risky mountain pass — about 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) in elevation above a lake — to reach schools farther from state lines.
Coleville High School, a small California school in the Eastern Sierra near the Nevada border, has also long been a member of the Nevada association, said Heidi Torix, superintendent of the Eastern Sierra Unified School District. The school abides by California law regarding transgender athletes, Torix said.
The school has not been similarly ordered by California to switch where it competes. The California Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment on whether it’s warned any other districts not in the California federation about possible noncompliance with state policy.
State Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, a Republican representing a large region of northern California bordering Nevada, said Tahoe-Truckee Unified shouldn’t be forced to join the CIF.
“I urge California Department of Education and state officials to fully consider the real-world consequences of this decision—not in theory, but on the ground—where weather, geography, and safety matter,” Hadwick said.
Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Immigrant truck drivers in limbo as feds deny California effort to reissue licenses
Avs’ home heater continues as Colorado beats Winnipeg 3-2 in chippy win
Twin Peaks Restaurant planning to open 3 locations in Connecticut
Delaware Valley rolls in home win over High Point – Wrestling recap
Florida divorcee, 48, accused of gunning down both of her ex-husbands in same-day fatal shootings
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Trump administration touts ‘most secure border in history’ as 2.5 million migrants exit US
How the reparations loan for Ukraine fell apart at the eleventh hour
Trump’s push to end transgender care for young people opposed by pediatricians
Takeaways from an eventful 2025 election cycle
Judge tosses Trump-linked lawsuit targeting Chief Justice Roberts, dealing setback to Trump allies
-
Iowa5 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Iowa7 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine4 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland5 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota6 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
New Mexico3 days agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class