Jon Raby, left, Nevada state director for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, speaks to reporters at BLM state headquarters in Reno, Nev., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, during a news conference announcing approval of a federal permit for Ioneer Ltd.'s lithium-boron mine now scheduled to begin construction next year near the California line about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas. Others who participated included (from left to right) Acting Deputy U.S. Interior Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis, Esmeralda County Commissioner Ralph Keys, Ioneer CEO Bernard Rowe and Steve Feldgus, principal deputy assistant U.S. interior secretary for land and minerals management. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner)