IV 

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 NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:53 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR478.IH HR478

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•HRES 478 IH 

tional 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; 


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•HRES 478 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) disapproves of NASA’s decision to decline 

3 Nye County’s request to act as a cooperating agency 

4 throughout the withdrawal process for Railroad Val5 ley; 

6 (2) disapproves of the Department of the Inte7 rior authorizing the withdrawal of approximately 

8 22,684 acres in Railroad Valley, Nevada; and 

9 (3) strongly recommends Federal agencies to 

10 include requesting States, counties, cities, and mu11 nicipalities to be included as cooperating agencies for 

12 proposed land withdrawals in their jurisdiction or vi13 cinity, at their request. 

Æ 


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