Rosen Helps Reintroduce Bill to Protect the Ruby Mountains from Oil and Gas Drilling Pushed by the Trump Administration

WASHINGTON, DC– U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in reintroducing legislation to expand protections for and prohibit oil and gas development in Nevada’s beautiful and pristine Ruby Mountains. Their reintroduction of theRuby Mountains Protection Actfollows the Trump Administration’s reckless decision toreopenthe Rubies to speculative oil and gas drilling. Last Congress, this bill advanced out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support.
“Instead of taking meaningful action to bolster American energy independence, the Trump Administration is taking reckless and unproductive steps that endanger Nevada lands with low likelihood of oil and gas production,”said Senator Rosen.“That’s why I’m introducing this bill with Senator Cortez Masto to fight back against President Trump’s efforts and protect the Ruby Mountains from drilling. I’ll keep pushing back against this wrongheaded approach that threatens the Ruby Mountains and other beautiful parts of our state.”
“The natural beauty of the Ruby Mountains, Nevada’s Swiss Alps, is beloved by locals and draws tourists from across the country,”said Senator Cortez Masto.“Unproductive oil and gas drilling would only harm Northern Nevada’s tourism economy and keep this natural treasure from generations of future Nevadans. There’s bipartisan support for my legislation, and there is no reason not to pass it into law.”
TheRuby Mountains Protection Actwould withdraw approximately 450,000 acres of National Forest land, comprising the Ruby Mountain Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, from any eligibility for oil and gas leasing. The bill will also expand protection to the 39,926-acre Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. TheRuby Mountains Protection Actwould not affect any recreational use of these pristine lands, including for hunting, hiking, and fishing.
Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto are champions for Nevada’s great outdoor spaces and public lands. They recently joined Nevada’s Congressional delegation inurgingthe Trump Administration to preserve national monument designations in Nevada. The Senators passedcritical legislationto permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects public lands in Nevada and across the U.S. They alsopassedbipartisan, bicameral legislation to reauthorize theLake Tahoe Restoration Act, and they delivered critical funding to protect Lake Tahoe in theBipartisan Infrastructure Law. Last year, Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto announced over$375 millionfor recreation and conservation projects across Nevada.
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