Desert

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Bill Introduced Would Designate 1.3 million Acres of Wilderness in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge

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Bill Introduced Would Designate 1.3 million Acres of Wilderness in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced a bill that would designate 1.3 million acres of wilderness in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Located just outside the city limits of Las Vegas, the Desert NWR protects 1.6 million acres of the largest contiguous Desert bighorn sheep habitat in the Lower 48. This refuge is also home to the threatened Desert tortoise.

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Congress Finalizes Bill to Protect the Desert National Wildlife Refuge

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Congress Finalizes Bill to Protect the Desert National Wildlife Refuge

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate voted in veto-proof numbers to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which protects the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada for the next 25 years. This bill is the result of several months of negotiations between the two chambers of Congress in conference, and keeps the previous military boundaries within the Desert NWR intact.

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Reflecting On A Momentous Week For Our National Wildlife Refuges

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Reflecting On A Momentous Week For Our National Wildlife Refuges

This week was a momentous week for wildlife conservation and wildlife refuges on Capitol Hill! From the protection of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge to funding for Refuge System Operations and Maintenance to the permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, we thank Congress for their hard work to support our nation’s public lands.

Desert National Wildlife Refuge bill rejects Air Force attempts to withdraw acres from the Refuge System. More work needs to be done to protect wildlife habitat.

Desert National Wildlife Refuge bill rejects Air Force attempts to withdraw acres from the Refuge System. More work needs to be done to protect wildlife habitat.

The National Wildlife Refuge Association applauds Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jackie Rosen, and the Nevada House delegation, Representatives Steven Horsford, Dina Titus, Mark Amodei, and Susie Lee, for their ongoing appreciation for and efforts to protect the unique wildlife habitat in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada. Overall, we appreciate the delegation’s efforts to bridge the divide between the desires of the Air Force to expand the NTTR and the wildlife needs of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, but we do have significant concerns about several aspects of the bill. 

Desert National Wildlife Refuge Supporters Storm Capitol Hill Asking For Protections

Desert National Wildlife Refuge Supporters Storm Capitol Hill Asking For Protections

Last week, supporters of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada stormed Capitol Hill to ask lawmakers to continue the existing protections of this iconic refuge. The Air Force is proposing to expand their footprint into 1.1 million acres of the Refuge, essentially removing these acres from the Refuge System, totaling 5% of all refuge lands in the lower 48 states. 

The Story Of The Desert Bighorn Sheep And The Bombs That Would Destroy Their Home

The Story Of The Desert Bighorn Sheep And The Bombs That Would Destroy Their Home

At 1.6 million acres, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is the largest national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established this refuge in 1936 to protect one of the largest blocks of intact desert bighorn sheep habitat in the Southwest. The U.S. Air Force is now proposing to take control of over 1 million acres of these refuge lands.