Act Now! Nevada's roadless Forest Service lands under grave threat
The US Forest Service is trying to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule that has protected wilderness quality, wildlife and water quality for a quarter century. This action could forever destroy some of our most cherished landscapes in Nevada and across the west. We're asking you to submit your comments NOW to stop this disastrous plan in its tracks. Read more below.
The Copper Mountain inventoried Roadless Area in Elko Co., one of several threatened by the rule rescision.
Photo by Jose Witt
Save the Esmeralda/Fish Lake Region
Monte Cristo Range by Kurt Kuznicki
This amazing place being bulldozed now by NV Energy to construct the Greenlink West powerline.
After years of exploring the amazingly intact volcanic wonderland of Esmeralda County, mapping it and conducting an intensive field inventory of the landscape, Friends of Nevada Wilderness decided that this intact landscape was worthy of special protection. We formally identified the Esmeralda/Fish Lake Area of Environmental Concern (ACEC) and in August, 2023, submitted it to the BLM for consideration. Unfortunately after two years of providing comments to the BLM on the importance of protecting these landscapes during both the Greenlink West transmission line EIS and the giant Esmeralda 7 solar facility EIS we have gotten no closer to protecting the ACEC. We have taken the extraordinary step for Friends of Nevada Wilderness and filed a lawsuit on May 28, 2025 against the BLM on the Greenlink West transmission line with its associated solar developments. These Esmeralda landscapes and resources need a champion and we will be that champion.
The wildness of this amazing region is being lost now as NV Energy and their bulldozers plow through the heart of our ACEC. In what appears to be a deliberate move, NV Energy jumped way north on their powerline construction directly into the Esmeralda/Fish Lake ACEC. FNW staffer Julien Pellegrini, who extensively inventoried and roamed this region for the last 15 years witnessed the destruction first hand on the last day of June. Julien reported seeing multiple housing units and campers, giant bulldozers, tractors and earth movers, a fleet of steamrollers and dump trucks, water and fuel tankers, and a huge bulldozed parking lot full of vehicles and an office building. Julien says “I am desperately heartbroken, it feels like I have lost on old friend.” This portion of Esmeralda County was completely surrounded by lands with wilderness character and the undeveloped valley was the core that held the wildness together.
Pershing County Lands Bill
Congressman Amodei working hard for his Northern Nevada Bill
On September 14, 2026, Congressman Mark Amodei's Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025 (H.R. 2317) passed the House by at voice vote and was send to the Senate. While it is a slim chance, at the end of 2026 after the mid-term elections it is possible that some portion of this bill including the Pershing County Wilderness could be enacted. There is also a Senate version of the Pershing Bill. On March 27, 2025 Senator Jacky Rosen reintroduced the Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act to expand protections for and improve the management of public lands in the County, and create new conservation and recreation opportunities, while ensuring the revenue from land sales stay in Pershing County. We are grateful to both Senator Rosen and Congressman Amodei for their continued work on this bill.
Support Wild Washoe
Senator Rosen reintroduces the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act!
We are very grateful to Senator Jacky Rosen for reintroducing the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act on February 6, 2025. We truly appreciate Senator Rosen's tenacity and commitment to this legislation and hope that there is an opportunity to see this bill passed at the end of 2026. Read Senator Rosen's announcement here.
The Act would protect nearly a million acres of public lands in northern Washoe County; lands valued for their dispersed recreation, wildlife habitat, dark skies and cultural values.
We are so grateful to the Senator and her hard-working staff for the many hours they spent conferring with a variety of stakeholders to craft a well-balanced public lands bill. Friends' staff worked tirelessly with Senator Rosen's staff to resolve on-the-ground issues, create and re-create detailed maps and generate public support for the conservation component.
Nye Country - the Heart of the Great Basin
Once again, our tried-and-true strategy to listen to stakeholders’ concerns, negotiate in good faith, assist in seeking out common-sense solutions and just plain hang in there, has resulted in a local agreement to designate almost 427,000 acres of new Wilderness Area in Nye County. We’re also very excited that local officials have agreed to what we’re calling the 216,000 acre Lunar Starlight National Conservation Area, a historic effort to preserve a truly unique Western landscape.
We will look to Senator Rosen and Congressman Horsford and their staff to condense all of this hard work into federal legislation that we fervently hope will come to pass. Nye County is home to some of the crown jewels of wild lands and we are cautiously optimistic that Nye could become the wild heart of the Great Basin.
