"In my view, after decades of taxpayer ripoffs and environmental destruction, it is long past time to reform the 1872 Mining Law." - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden to the Senate Energy Committee last Tuesday.

Mining reform is back in the news following a hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources last week - one in which Interior Secretary Ken Salazar testified.  This attempt at reform, like many preceding it, will attempt to modernize the Mining Law of 1872 - an antiquated bit of legislation which gives mining preference over other uses on much of the nation's public lands, has left a legacy of hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines that are polluting rivers and streams throughout the West, and that doesn't require mining companies to pay royalties on gold, silver, copper and other hardrock minerals mined on public land.

But maybe this time isn't like the others.  In a press conference after the hearing, Salazar had this to say: "We are committing significant resources from the Department of Interior to get this done.  I think there is a possibility we can get mining reform done in this Congress."  Following those remarks, the AP reported, "Environmentalists said they were surprised and pleased by Salazar's testimony and the forcefulness of his remarks to reporters afterward.  'I think it's a very positive development that we have an Interior secretary in the Obama administration saying mining reform is a top priority and it needs to be done in this Congress,' said Jane Danowitz, director of U.S. public lands programs at the Pew Environment Group."

Salazar also added this interesting tidbit during his testimony, a link between the reform of the nation's mining laws to the production of better beer, as reported by Mother Jones: "Relative to the water that was used for Coors beer," the former Colorado Senator said, "we know that Clear Creek comes off the headwaters. . .where we have thousands of abandoned mines."

Just one more reason for mining reform - Cheers Ken!

One more issue involving mining - and this one requires your help by contacting the aforementioned Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

The following is a letter from the National Parks Conservation Association:
One million acres of prime wolf, bear, and salmon habitat adjacent to Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks could be opened to new federal mining claims with the stroke of a pen. Closed to mining since 1971, these wild Alaska lands are integral to Bristol Bay's salmon-rich ecosystem that is anchored by these two grand national parks. A recommendation from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to lift this mineral closure and expand a modern day gold rush was issued in the last days of the Bush Administration and we need your help to send this bad idea back to the drawing board.

BLM recommended opening more lands to mining, but their faulty analysis failed to conduct sufficient scientific research on the impacts that these new mining claims would have on the region's fish and wildlife. Plus, BLM's decision ignored the overwhelming opposition of local residents and indigenous tribes! A new report issued by NPCA's Center for State of the Parks clearly identifies this proposed mining district immediately adjacent to Lake Clark as the single biggest threat to one of America's most pristine and wild national parks.

Take Action: BLM's plan needs to be reworked with the region's globally significant salmon and wildlife values taken into consideration. Please send a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar asking him to take no action on the recommendation and to send this plan back to the drawing board instead of signing BLM's proposed order lifting the mineral closure.

Thanks for all you do to protect America's national parks!

 

Jim Stratton
Alaska Regional Director

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