LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A proposal for 20 years of protection from mining is on the table for more than 300,000 acres in Nye County. It's called a "Mineral Withdrawal," and right now, a two-year pause on new mining claims is underway while the Bureau of Land Management evaluates the proposal.
“This one is really exciting. It’s been a meeting that we’ve been hoping for about the last year and a half. The focus of this meeting is around whether this place Ash Meadows and the Amargosa Valley should be considered for more protection," said Mason Voehl, Executive Director for the Amargosa Conservancy.
WATCH: Lithium mining could slow down in the Amargosa Valley. Here's how
A BLM public meeting is set to take place Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Amargosa Community Center. Public Comments will be accepted through April 15. You can submit your feedback to the BLM here.
Community Coverage
For more than a year, people living in Amargosa Valley and throughout the county have pushed back on the proposal for lithium exploration in the area.
An area of interest for Canadian mining company Rover Critical Minerals is the nearby Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, which is the habitat of the endangered pupfish.
Advocates of the 'Mineral Withdrawal' say drilling in the area threatens the aquifer system that sustains the community and the ash meadows the ecosystem.
In a previous interview, Rover Critical Minerals said they hoped to spur job growth in the area and increase the domestic supply of critical minerals.
