President Joe Biden’s administration said Monday it is taking steps to bar oil, gas and geothermal development for 20 years in northeastern Nevada’s Ruby Mountains.
The administration said it has submitted an application to withdraw about 264,000 acres (107,000 hectares) of federal lands in the area from such leasing. That starts a 90-day public comment period on the 20-year prohibition and prevents oil, gas and geothermal development for two years during the process.
The lands would remain open to mining.
The Biden administration said it moved to protect the lands at the request of Native American tribes, conservationists, hunters and anglers.
The move came three weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to ramp up oil and gas production and move away from Biden’s focus on climate change.
