The meeting got underway promply at 1:30 PM. After a very short talk all of the BLM people were introduced and comments began. By my count there were approximately 50 attendees, of which 13 were on the list to make comments. The final result was 6 for amendment one and 6 for amendement 4. One man talked about Europe and how all items including cars were now recycled and the need for any minerals was going to diminish. It was hard to tell which side of the board he was on,by the time he finished

The general range of comments was about hard rock mining, reclamation, water quality, and posting cash bonds rather than company assets and or stock. Northern Resources was principally interested in the defunct mines in their area and what the mines had done to their water quality, etc. The Sierra Club would have buried all of us in the parking lot right then and there. These two groups supposedly represented 5400 people. Amendment 1 backers represented no more than 600, as Continental Lime did not give any figures, and that includes 400 from Northwest MT. Gold Prospectors and us 4 independent miners.We, the independents, were lumped right in with the hard rock people and there seemed to be no dividing line at all. Somehow we need to put into a category of our own, and then we might have a leg to stand on. If the hard rock and open pit people go down, I feel that they are going to suck us down with them.

Several of us conveyed our concern to the BLM people after the meeting, but I had a feeling it was a losing cause. With no national organization to represent, it was the NW Mt. Gold Prospectors and us independents against the world. At least everyone was able to comment, and there was no shouting and all was very cool. At the moment, I feel like the only way we are going to win this is to submit comments to the BLM, as all of the organizations said they were going to do and WRITE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.

Maybe Allen from NW MT will have some further comments.

Jim/MT

• Re: 3809 // report Montana meeting roger fl 05:32:08 4/15/99 (1)
  • Re: 3809 // report Montana meeting Stan 07:30:56 4/15/99 (0)
• Re: 3809 // report Montana meeting Allen 19:54:07 4/14/99 (1)
  • Re: 3809 // report Montana meeting Stan 23:16:13 4/14/99 (0)