RENO, Nev. — The Biden administration announced on Monday that it is taking significant action to prevent the development of oil, gas, and geothermal resources for a period of 20 years in the Ruby Mountains located in northeastern Nevada.

This initiative involves the submission of a request to withdraw around 264,000 acres (about 107,000 hectares) of federal land from leasing for these energy sources. This decision initiates a 90-day period for public input regarding the proposed 20-year ban, while also imposing a two-year moratorium on oil, gas, and geothermal development in the region during this time.

However, the land will remain available for mining activities.

Patrick Donnelly, who serves as the Great Basin director for the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed his views on this development. He stated that while the action will halt speculative oil leasing in the area, he believes that the existing protections for the Ruby Mountains are insufficient as mining options continue to be permitted.

“The Ruby Mountains contain no confirmed oil reserves, and this withdrawal does not address the pressing issue posed by gold mining,” Donnelly remarked.

The Biden administration indicated that this protective measure was taken in response to requests from Native American tribes, conservation groups, as well as hunting and fishing communities.

The timing of this announcement is notable, occurring just three weeks ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to escalate oil and gas production while shifting away from President Biden’s climate-focused policies.

Back in 2019, the U.S. Forest Service determined that oil and gas leasing in the Ruby Mountains was unsuitable, which was viewed as a victory by critics of the prior administration’s push towards increased energy exploration throughout the western United States.