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Amargosa Conservancy’s push to withdraw 308,890 acres near Ash Meadows advances; public meeting scheduled
Summary
Board members reported support for an Amargosa Conservancy-led effort to pursue a federal mineral withdrawal protecting lands around Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge; a public meeting in Amargosa Valley was announced and a Conservancy speaker said the current step provides at least two years of protection while the BLM environmental review is
Board members and public commenters discussed the Amargosa Conservancy’s effort to have roughly 308,890 acres of public land in the Amargosa Valley and around Ash Meadows included in a federal mineral withdrawal.
The District noted it had submitted a support letter; staff complimented Amargosa Conservancy staffer Mason (surname in backup) for advancing the issue in Washington. Public commenter Scott Williams (Amargosa Conservancy) clarified that the local step the board described provides an administrative pause (a two-year protection for environmental review) while the BLM conducts NEPA and related analyses, and that if the BLM proceeds with the withdrawal the protection would continue under the withdrawal for up to 20 years.
Williams said the Conservancy will contract a hydrologic analysis to support the withdrawal process and announced a public meeting in Amargosa Valley on February 27 (public meeting 5:30 p.m., rally at 4:30 p.m.). Participants said they will post updates and offer the District any hydrological findings once the Conservancy’s contracted analysis is complete.
The board received the update as informational and did not take a formal vote at the meeting.
