LETTER: Don’t sell BLM land

On July 30th, the Bureau of Land Management intends to auction thousands of acres in Nevada for oil and gas leasing. These lands include some of our state’s most spectacular and pristine forests and mountains. The sale would harm lands immediately next to the Ruby Mountains, at the entrance to Harrison Pass, near the South Fork Reservation and in migration corridors critical for male deer and sage grouse — risking irreversible damage to irreplaceable places. This sale comes despite the Forest Service’s warnings about the dangers of drilling in these areas, and against the will of thousands of Nevadans who expressed opposition through public comments.

Although Nevada is making progress in implementing clean energy initiatives to ensure a future for our children, the July 30th sale would exacerbate the climate crisis while despoiling precious lands and water resources in return, at most, for short-term benefit to the fossil fuels industry.