Ruby Mountains Protection Act

S. 1349, the Ruby Mountains Protection Act, would withdraw approximately 450,000 acres of National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountain Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and approximately 39,926 acres of Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge from eligibility for oil and gas leasing. The bill would also prevent any future federal land acquisitions in these areas from being used for oil and gas leasing. If enacted, the legislation would not affect other uses of the land, including recreation, grazing, and mining activities. Hunting, hiking, and fishing would remain permitted in the protected areas. The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, which held hearings on the measure in February 2026. The Ruby Mountains are located in Elko and White Pine Counties in northeastern Nevada and support significant wildlife habitat, including habitat for greater sage grouse and the federally protected Lahontan cutthroat trout, as well as Nevada's largest mule deer herd.