Injunction Issued on BLM’s Proposed Sale of Land and Minerals Adjacent to the Walker River Indian Reservation

July 24, 2026

Last week the U.S. District Court in Reno, Nevada, issued an injunction on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed sale of public lands and minerals to the Atlantic Richfield Company. Community members, tribal representatives, and organizations, such as the Great Basin Resource Watch and Prayer Horse Inc., have been advocating to block the sale due to the company’s interests in re-mining the Anaconda Mine Site. 

The mine, which began processing copper ore in the 50s, has caused community concern over exposure to chemical residue and air pollution from toxic dust. The mine is adjacent to the Yerington Paiute Tribe and a “stone’s throw” from the Walker River Indian Reservation, according to Vernon Rogers (Yerington Paiute Tribe), who resides on the Walker River Indian Reservation. Sale of the land to a non-federal entity would remove all federal oversight of the superfund site and land use. Read more here.  

The Four Tribes Alliance is an intertribal working group dedicated to protecting sacred sites and advocating for recognition of Tribal Sovereignty. Appointed members from Bridgeport Indian Colony, Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a, Walker River Paiute Tribe, and Yerington Paiute Tribe participate in the Alliance. The Four Tribes Alliance is a community partner under the Stewarding Native Lands Woven Lands focus area. Learn more about their work here. 

Photo credit KUNR, Lupe Alvarez/KUNR