The Biden administration is attempting to implement last-minute restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the west just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
On Monday, the Department of the Interior announced plans to pursue a 20-year ban on oil and gas leases in 264,000 acres of Nevada's Ruby Mountains.
The administration submitted an application to withdraw the acreage from any potential leasing, which initiated a two-year ban on new mineral leases in the area during the approval process.
The proposal now heads into a 90-day public comment period, which will fall under the Trump administration.
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During Trump's first administration, the Forest Service conducted a study to determine whether 54,000 acres could be leased for oil and gas drilling in the Ruby Mountains.
It is unclear whether the Trump administration will consider potential leases in the region, but such actions could face roadblocks following the Biden administration's new proposal. »