S. 1349: Ruby Mountains Protection Act

This bill, known as the Ruby Mountains Protection Act, aims to protect certain federal lands in Nevada by withdrawing them from mineral leasing laws. Here’s a breakdown of what the bill proposes:

Withdrawal of National Forest Land

The bill would withdraw approximately **309,272 acres** of federal land located in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest from all forms of mineral leasing. This means that no new mining or extraction activities can take place on this land. Specifically:

• The land is subject to existing valid rights, which means any current mining operations or rights would continue unaffected.
• If the federal government acquires any additional land in this area after the bill's enactment, that land would also be withdrawn from mineral leasing.
• A map depicting the exact boundaries of the withdrawn area will be available for public inspection at designated Forest Service offices.

Withdrawal of National Wildlife Refuge Land

Additionally, the bill proposes to withdraw about **39,926 acres** of land located within the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge from mineral leasing. The specifics include:

• Similar to the forest land, this withdrawal is also subject to existing valid rights.
• Although mineral leasing will be prohibited, this restriction does not apply to noncommercial management activities conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Any newly acquired land within the refuge boundaries after the bill's enactment would also fall under this withdrawal.
• A map showing the boundaries of this land withdrawal will be available for public inspection at relevant Fish and Wildlife Service offices.

Overall Impact

The primary effect of this bill is to protect significant natural areas in the Ruby Mountains and Ruby Lake from mineral extraction activities, aiming to conserve the ecological integrity and environmental quality of these regions.

Relevant Companies

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