Attorney General Laxalt supports challenge to Federal Agency’s Withdrawal of 1 Million Acres of Land

(Office of the Attorney General) – Carson City – Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt joined three other western states in filing a “friend of the court” brief urging the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a decision by President Barack Obama’s administration to withdraw over 1 million acres of public land from uranium mining.

President Obama’s administration ordered the withdrawal after Congress refused to pass legislation to stop mining on the land. While the reason given for the withdrawal was to protect the Grand Canyon watershed, more than 200,000 acres of the withdrawn land falls outside that watershed, thereby undermining the rationale that the withdrawal is necessary to protect the Grand Canyon.

“This is yet another example of overreach by this federal administration,” said Laxalt.  “After Congress rejected the proposed land withdrawal, the administration decided to do it anyway by executive fiat. Not only is there a lack of available science or data to support the need for such an immense withdrawal of land, but the federal government itself has projected this withdrawal will cost our economy over $2 billion.”

The brief argues that the decision to withdraw the land was made without sufficient data or science to support the decision. In addition to Nevada, the other states on the brief include: Arizona, Montana and Utah.

To read the “friend of the court” brief filed by Nevada and the other states, click here.