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The Biden administration on Monday proposed two rounds of new environmental protections for sites in the western United States, starting a process that would extend into the next Trump administration.
The first protections announced apply to Nevada’s Ruby Mountains and would protect the area from mining for 20 years, beginning with a two-year segregation period during which no new mining claims would be allowed in an area of about 264,000 acres .
“The Ruby Mountains are cherished by local communities for their scenic value, cultural heritage, abundant wildlife and benefits to the local economy through a thriving outdoor recreation industry,” Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, in a statement. “Today, we are taking an important and sensible step to stop new mining claims to ensure we have the science and public input needed to inform proposed protections of the Ruby Mountains area for future generations.”
The new protections will be subject to a 90-day public comment period, which will extend into the first months of Trump’s second administration.
The department also announced permanent protections in Grand Teton National Park and the $100 million purchase of a 640-acre parcel in Wyoming. Before the sale, it was the largest unprotected strip of land in the national park. The land includes the start of a key migration corridor for pronghorn, an antelope-like mammal with a habitat range that stretches from Canada to parts of Texas.
“People from every state come to Grand Teton National Park every year to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and iconic wildlife protected in the park,” National Park Service Director Charles Sams said in a statement. “We are grateful for the support of countless local community managers in the park, Wyoming and across the country, who contributed their voices to this incredible conservation achievement that will benefit generations to come.”
In his first term, President-elect Trump revoked Obama-era protections for two western national monuments: the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments. President Biden restored those protections in 2021.
