Nevada lawmakers push for protections for Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

WASHINGTON D.C. (KOLO) – Nevada lawmakers are pushing the Biden administration to provide greater protections for the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, and Representatives Steven Horsford and Susie Lee all sent a letter to the Department of the Interior asking them to prohibit mining on federal public land on the Amargosa River watershed.

They say doing this would ensure the area’s water source, which is also used by Death Valley, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the residents of Nye County and Amargosa Valley, is not disrupted.

“The ecosystem at Ash Meadows NWR is entirely dependent on groundwater. Recent proposals for exploratory mineral drilling and extraction near the Refuge boundary pose an immediate threat to the integrity of this fragile ecosystem,” the lawmakers wrote.

“In response to this threat, there is widespread support to enhance protections for this unique ecological system,” they continued. “…Formally withdrawing these lands from new mining and exploration would preserve the crucial and culturally-significant water resources in and around Ash Meadows, Death Valley, and Amargosa Valley from additional harm. Maintaining the integrity of this watershed is not only important for conserving the unique plants and animals that live in this special place, but it also helps protect the water source for the surrounding communities.”

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