[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 478 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 478

   Expressing disapproval of the withdrawal by the Secretary of the 
  Interior of approximately 22,684 acres of Bureau of Land Management 
 lands in the Railroad Valley of Nye County, Nevada, from all forms of 
   mineral entry under United States law, subject to valid existing 
                                rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2023

 Mr. Amodei submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
    Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing disapproval of the withdrawal by the Secretary of the 
  Interior of approximately 22,684 acres of Bureau of Land Management 
 lands in the Railroad Valley of Nye County, Nevada, from all forms of 
   mineral entry under United States law, subject to valid existing 
                                rights.

Whereas, on April 29, 2021, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
        (NASA) applied for a mineral withdrawal of approximately 22,995 acres in 
        Railroad Valley, Nevada, located in Nye County;
Whereas, on July 20, 2021, Nye County requested to be included as a cooperating 
        agency in the subsequent National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
        process, which NASA subsequently denied;
Whereas, on January 7, 2022, Representatives Mark Amodei, Steven Horsford, and 
        Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen sent a letter to NASA reiterating Nye 
        County's request to be a cooperating agency, which was once again 
        denied;
Whereas, on March 17, 2022, Representative Mark Amodei requested that NASA 
        include his office as a cooperating agency, which was subsequently 
        denied;
Whereas, on April 27, 2023, the Department of the Interior approved the 
        withdrawal of 22,684.07 acres within Railroad Valley Public Land Order 
        No. 7921 (88 Fed. Reg. 25682), taking effect that same day;
Whereas there is a longtime precedent in Nevada for the counties, cities, and 
        municipalities of jurisdictions to be included as cooperating agencies 
        when significant actions are proposed on federal lands within their 
        boundaries;
Whereas NASA should have taken into account Nye County's zoning and planning 
        jurisdictional input;
Whereas the Bureau of Land Management also prepared a potential mineral report 
        in May 2022, which identified moderate to high potential for three 
        critical minerals--barite, lithium, and magnesium--to be present in 
        Railroad Valley;
Whereas, within the withdrawn area, there are 618 placer mining claims spread 
        over 12,360 acres, or approximately 54 percent, of the withdrawal area;
Whereas the availability of minerals and mineral materials are essential for 
        economic growth, national security, technological innovation, and the 
        manufacturing and agricultural supply chain;
Whereas China currently controls the majority of worldwide lithium production; 
        and
Whereas withdrawing areas of high lithium potential from mineral production 
        significantly disadvantages the United States national security and 
        gives China more control over critical mineral production; Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) disapproves of NASA's decision to decline Nye County's 
        request to act as a cooperating agency throughout the 
        withdrawal process for Railroad Valley;
            (2) disapproves of the Department of the Interior 
        authorizing the withdrawal of approximately 22,684 acres in 
        Railroad Valley, Nevada; and
            (3) strongly recommends Federal agencies to include 
        requesting States, counties, cities, and municipalities to be 
        included as cooperating agencies for proposed land withdrawals 
        in their jurisdiction or vicinity, at their request.
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