Nevada’s land is worth saving

At the end of the month, the Bureau of Land Management will offer up critical parcels in the state for oil and gas drilling leases, many of which are adjacent to critical wilderness lands in the Ruby Mountains, as well as future leases that will include parcels that abut Great Basin National Park.

These leases are expected to produce little in terms of actual output, but their development carries serious risks of despoiling some of Nevada's most valuable recreational wilderness.

In an era when Nevada is moving toward a renewable energy future, it makes no sense to potentially damage some of our most precious natural resources for such small return. I encourage the BLM to reconsider offering up these and subsequent leases, and I ask fellow Nevadans to make their voices heard as to how they want their state lands to be used.