June 24, 2021 - — Two important conservation bills championed by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto were considered in the United States Senate on June 16. The Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining heard testimony on the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act and the Ruby Mountains Protection Act.

“Long time advocates for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge like me have been waiting nearly a half century for this day,” said Roger Scholl, Chair of the Friends of Nevada Wilderness Board of Directors. “It was 1974 when I testified in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal for more than a million acres of Wilderness for the Desert Refuge. It's hard to express the elation of seeing this landmark legislation start to move through Congress. I can't thank Senator Cortez Masto enough for her leadership to keep this iconic place protected and open to the public.”

Read quotes from other supporters in the full press release.