By Mason Voehl Campaigns Director Amargosa Conservancy
Over the past few years, the communities of the Amargosa Basin could not have made themselves any clearer: we will not abide by predatory extraction projects that put Ash Meadows at risk in the name of profit.
And yet, on July 10, 2025, the California Bureau of Land Management formally approved St. Cloud Mining Company’s plan to drill 43 exploratory holes on public lands just west of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, across the California border in Inyo County, to search for zeolite. The project area lies within the Amargosa North Area of Critical Environmental Concern which was designated to protect groundwater, endemic and endangered species habitat, and cultural resources.
St. Cloud’s drilling operations would occur in an area with known hydrological connectivity to Ash Meadows and the Amargosa Wild & Scenic River, risking irreversible impacts to crucial groundwater flows. The project area is also in very close proximity to lower Carson Slough: home to the most robust population of the critically endangered and endemic Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis). Blowing dust from mining activities and increased truck traffic in and around the exploration area presents an acute threat to the plant species, which occurs exclusively in alkali wetlands in the Amargosa Basin.
Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis)
The project area is also regarded as culturally important to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, risking degradation of their ancestral heritage and the viewshed of sacred sites including Eagle Mountain.
Lower Carson Slough, looking toward Eagle Mountain
Despite these risks, the agency opted not to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement and determined that the project poses “no significant impact” to the environment.
We strongly disagree.
Ash Meadows is an irreplaceable sanctuary for more endemic species than anywhere else in the continental U.S., a living sacred landscape for Tribes, and the beating heart of the Amargosa River system. Groundwater is its lifeblood, and any disruption threatens not only fragile ecosystems but also the communities of Shoshone and Tecopa that rely on sustained spring flows for survival.
The agency received 159 public comments during its review process, many urging greater environmental review and citing legal flaws and scientific contradictions in the Environmental Assessment. Those concerns were ultimately brushed aside in BLM’s final rationale.
Read our allies’ comment letter
Amargosa Conservancy and our allies are preparing a response. In the days ahead, we will explore all options to push back on this decision and continue to press our land managers to uphold their responsibility to protect this extraordinary place.
We ask our supporters to stand with us. This fight for the future of Ash Meadows is far from over.
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