National Defense Authorization Act
The Desert Bighorn faces the armed services committee. The committee approved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that will permit the Air Force’s bombing range expansion on over 850,000 acres currently managed as a wildlife refuge. This will allow the U.S. Air Force more sky and ranges to conduct maneuvers.
This will take place over one of the largest expansions of space in the continental United States. This is the home range of the Desert Bighorn Sheep and stretches over 1.6 million acres.
“It’s appalling that Democrats on the House Armed Services committee would betray the people of Nevada by giving away our beloved Desert National Wildlife Refuge to the Air Force,” said Patrick Donnelly.
People are coming together to protect the habitat.
In what is rather remarkable in today’s world almost every group has joined forces to prevent this loss of Desert Bighorn habitat! Democrats, Republicans, Hunters, Animal rights, Native Americans and just about any other group in the state of Nevada.
32,000 people Signed the petition to stop the legislature from passing the amendment and launched the #DontBombTheBighorn. To no avail the democrats passed the amendment.
“It defies belief that the Desert Refuge could make it safely through Republican Senator Inhofe’s Senate Armed Services Committee only to be put on the chopping block by Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee,” said Donnelly.
The residents of Nevada have vowed to continue the fight and save the Wildlife refuge.