Located in the northeast corner of Nevada, Ruby Lake NWR is an expansive marsh nestled in the High Desert, at the southern end of the Ruby Mountains. Today, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto introduced a bill that would protect the Ruby Mountains and Ruby Lake NWR from future oil and gas development. We applaud the Senator for her forethought and for the inclusion of the Ruby Lake NWR in this package.

Mineral Springs at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge by DC Carr / USFWS

National wildlife refuges are meant to be safe havens for wildlife. A safe place to rest as a stopover along a migration corridor, or for nesting grounds or wintering grounds. Places for people to recreate, either through wildlife watching or photography or through sustainable consumptive use. Many refuges are host to year-long residents.

Wildlife refuges should not be host to oil and gas development and should be left to wildlife and people to enjoy for their natural beauty and resources. Enough other lands, both public and private, are available for fossil fuel development. This bill is forward-looking and will protect in perpetuity one of the most remote refuges in the Lower 48 states.

We look forward to working with the Senator and Congress to enact this legislation.