Forest Service plan would open Ruby Mountains to oil, gas drilling

The U.S. Forest Service is prepared to open almost 54,000 acres in the Ruby Mountains to new oil and gas exploration, according to a document obtained by an environmental group fighting the plan.

In its draft environmental assessment, the forest service is proposing to allow fossil fuel leases on all of the land requested by and oil and gas developer in the Rubies but with restrictions that would prevent any surface disturbances.

The developers would have place their wells and other equipment on neighboring Bureau of Land Management property and use horizontal drilling or hydraulic fracturing to reach any deposits beneath the requested forest lands in the iconic Nevada mountain range about 370 miles north of Las Vegas.

The Center for Biological Diversity released the draft document Thursday after obtaining it as part of a Freedom of Information Act request.

Read more: https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/forest-service-plan-would-open-ruby-mountains-to-oil-gas-drilling/