Public Meeting On Proposed Mineral Withdrawal Today ...

[M.E.G.]

Public Meeting On Proposed Mineral Withdrawal Today In Grants Pass

KAJO 1270AM - Your Hometown Radio Station! - Local News

Local residents concerned about a proposed mineral withdrawal on public lands in southwest Oregon will have an opportunity to voice those concerns during a public meeting today in Grants Pass.

The public meeting -- organized by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management – runs from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Anne Basker Auditorium. A similar meeting was held yesterday at the Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach.

The mineral withdrawal concerns nearly 96,000 acres of US National Forest lands on the Rogue River/Siskiyou National Forest and more than 5,200 acres of BLM lands in the Medford and Coos Bay Districts.

Officials say the withdrawal is subject to valid existing mineral rights, but does not allow for mining claim location or entry under the mining laws, mineral lease or geothermal operations during both the two-year segregation period and the subsequent five-year mineral withdrawal – for a total of up to seven years.

The US Congress is currently considering Senate Bill 346 and House Resolution 682, jointly called the “Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015.”

The proposed laws have drawn the ire of several local mining districts, which have vowed to file lawsuits against the US Department of Interior to block them.

 

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[RotGrub]

Public Meeting On Proposed Mineral Withdrawal Today In Grants Pass

KAJO 1270AM - Your Hometown Radio Station! - Local News

Local residents concerned about a proposed mineral withdrawal on public lands in southwest Oregon will have an opportunity to voice those concerns during a public meeting today in Grants Pass.

The public meeting -- organized by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management — runs from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Anne Basker Auditorium. A similar meeting was held yesterday at the Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach.

The mineral withdrawal concerns nearly 96,000 acres of US National Forest lands on the Rogue River/Siskiyou National Forest and more than 5,200 acres of BLM lands in the Medford and Coos Bay Districts.

Officials say the withdrawal is subject to valid existing mineral rights, but does not allow for mining claim location or entry under the mining laws, mineral lease or geothermal operations during both the two-year segregation period and the subsequent five-year mineral withdrawal — for a total of up to seven years.

The US Congress is currently considering Senate Bill 346 and House Resolution 682, jointly called the “Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015.”

The proposed laws have drawn the ire of several local mining districts, which have vowed to file lawsuits against the US Department of Interior to block them.

How did this turn out.

 

[M.E.G.]

KAJO 1270AM - Your Hometown Radio Station! - Local News

Public Hearing On Mining Withdrawal Overflows Anne Basker Auditorium

The public hearings are over. Now, it is time for the Bureau of Land Management to assess the environmental impact of industrial mining on wild rivers in southwest Oregon.

It’s all about the possibility of a mineral withdrawal beginning in two years -- and lasting an additional five years.

Currently, there is a mineral segregation -- that means if someone has a valid claim, they can mine. The segregation will last the next two years, but Congress has asked BLM to assess the environmental impact and report the findings to it.

Congress will then make an informed decision as to whether it should pass the mineral withdrawal for five years.

The BLM held a public hearing on Thursday night in Grants Pass, and about 300 people came out to support their concerns. About 80 people were unable to make it inside the public hearing because the Anne Basker Auditorium reached capacity.

Those in favor of mining said it does not harm the fish or water. Several local mining districts have asked the Josephine County Board of Commissioners to join them in filing a lawsuit against the US Department of Interior.

The BLM is accepting written statements until September 28th.

and:

KTVL CBS Channel 10 :: Medford - News - Top Stories - Possible Mineral Withdrawal

Possible Mineral Withdrawal

About 80 people were unable to make it inside the public hearing because the building reached capacity in Grants Pass, Oregon, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (KTVL/Ariana Rakhshani)

By Ariana Rakhshani/KTVL.com

GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- The public hearings are over. Now, it is time for the Bureau of Land Management to assess the environmental impact of industrial mining on wild rivers in southwest Oregon.

This is all about the possibility of a mineral withdrawal beginning in two years, and lasting an additional five years.

Currently, there is a mineral segregation; that means if someone has a valid claim, they can mine. The segregation will last the next two years, but Congress has asked BLM to assess the environmental impact, and report the findings to it. Congress will then make an informed decision as to whether it should pass the mineral withdrawal for five years.

The BLM held a public hearing on Thursday night in Grants Pass, and about 300 people came out to support clean water.

"I'm here for clean water and for clean air and to protect the salmon and to protect the environment of this place that I've come to know and love and feel a great need to protect," clean water supporter Ray Wilberg said.

Those in favor of mining said it does not harm the fish or water.

The BLM is accepting written statements until September 28th.

 

[ratled]

Thanks MEG for the follow up

 

[goldenIrishman]

Sounds like yet another "Dog and Pony" show by the feds to make it look like that actually care what the public thinks. If they want to remove it from entry, they're going to remove it no matter what. I get the feeling that this is eyewash to make it look like they care what public opinion says.

 

[RotGrub]

MEG, is this a national issue? It must be as the land extraction effects everyone. I'm trying to confirm who can legally respond; Oregon, CA, Nation?...

 

[winners58]

The News story has it wrong Ron Widen introduced a bill for a withdrawal on rough & ready creek and red flat up pistol river and changes W&S river on the chetco
in that bill parts of it have been in bills before for like for the last 9 years and none have come up for a vote.
that withdrawal would be for I think 20 years then they can re-new each 20 years.
this withdrawal was asked for by the three Oregon Demarcates, BLM has 2 years to decide to put in a 5 year withdrawal in hopes
that Congress will pass a bill that may never see the light of day, the story is wrong a person in congress asked for this not a committee not congress.
in the case of the 5 year withdrawal BLM will decide after going through the motions of ESA and other consultations.
these areas are already claimed up 100+ claims in each of the two area's.
Ore tests-->http://www.oregongeology.org/sub/mi...ct/RedFlatsPlacers/RedFlatsPlacersReports.pdf

Written comments may be sent to the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, OR 97208-2965.
more info-->http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/rogue-siskiyou/landmanagement/projects



BLM land Withdrawal Questions http://www.blm.gov/or/landsrealty/loquestions.php

 

[M.E.G.]

Brookings Oregon News, Sports, & Weather | The Curry Coastal Pilot - Citizens oppose river strip mining

 

[winners58]

Sent comments 9/28/15

Opposed to mineral withdrawal;

The potential for un-discovered mineral resources in these areas could be of national strategic importance. There are two known copper deposits in the area the third is just south along Indian creek , The Gray Eagle mine produced over 50,000 metric tons of copper from 14 mining claims or only 256 acres in size, at today’s prices would be close to 300 million dollars. ($300,000,000)
Any Nickel mining that this withdrawal is supposed to stop, if ever would be years away and not close to any stream, the Laterites only occurred at the top of mountains, a larger deposit to the north outside of the withdrawal area at Eight Dollar mountain and another at Woodcock mountain,
There have been various sampling in these areas and eventually in one instance with the Nicore group, BLM concluded none of Nicore’s claims contained minerals of sufficient quality or quantity to constitute a discovery.
To lock up future mineral resources in light of 2015 Oregon HB 3089 for DOGAMI to conduct study of Mineral resource potential of eastern and southern Oregon counties, this will affect Josephine county greatly. The status quo is to allow exploration any mining is not yet on the table.

78th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2015 Regular Session, signed by Gov. Brown Aug. 18th
B-Engrossed House Bill 3089
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to mining; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) Mining contributes to the economy and well-being of the
people of Oregon. Mining creates high-paying jobs in parts of
this state that, due to a lack of infrastructure and development, are less likely to
be capable of diversifying beyond a regional economy based on natural resources. Mining creates secondary industries in the surrounding region and attracts numerous providers of goods and services. Mining also generates significant tax revenues for local governments
and provides support for civic and educational projects in local communities.
(2) The mining of minerals is a natural resource use.
(3) In eastern Oregon, including Lake, Harney, Malheur, Baker and Grant Counties, diversifying the types of natural resource uses that contribute to local economies enables those economies to better withstand temporary economic declines that affect specific natural resource uses. In the same way that a diversified economy is good for a large metropolitan area, a diversified natural resource economy is good for eastern Oregon.
(4) Technological advances in the mining industry, coupled with reclamation efforts, have greatly reduced the environmental impacts of mining operations. The size and scope of
modern operations is such that the operations do not cause interference with other natural
resource uses, particularly in an area as vast as eastern Oregon.
(5) Mining operations should be encouraged and supported in eastern and southern Oregon as a means for residents and communities to improve their economies and well-being.

name name
#######r Drive,
Eugene, OR 97402
References;
Open File 96+96 National Mineral Resource Assessment Data Base for Undiscovered Deposits of Base and Precious Metals
And Nickel Exploration | Highway 199
and https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3089/Enrolled