Minerals Program

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Minerals Program
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Minerals Program

• National Forest Advisory Board
• July 2008
• Presenter Rusty Wilder

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OVERVIEW

• Legal Framework
• Forest Service Roles
• Three Mineral Categories
• Minerals Program in the Black Hills
• Superfund
• Abandoned Mines Programs

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LEGAL FRAMEWORK
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1872 MINING LAW

• 1872 General Mining Law
• 1917 Mineral Resources on Weeks Lands
• 1920 Mineral Lands Leasing Act
• 1947 Materials Act
• 1955 Mining Act
• 1970 Geothermal Steam Act
• 1976 Federal Land Policy and
• Management Act

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CONGRESS AND THE 1872 MINING LAW

• Legislative Overhaul of 1872 Mining Law?
• H.R. 4226 and the 110th Congress
• Passed the House
• Sent to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
  Resources
• Previous Congressional Debate
• 103rd Passed House
• 104th, 105th, 106th, 107th, 108th, 109th Dead
  in House

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MINING LAWSObtaining Patent

• Patent a Mining Claim
• Obtain Title to Federal Land
• 2217 Patents on the BHNF
• From 2 acres to 200 acres
• Does this still happen?
• Law hasnt changed
• BUT Since 1992, Congress has inserted
  language in appropriations bills prohibiting Dept
  of Interior from accepting M.S. Patent
  Applications

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MINING LAWSMineral Withdrawals

• Public Domain Lands can be withdrawn from
  entry under the mining laws.
• BLM Sec. of Interior
• Requires NEPA
• Admin Sites, Rec Sites, Special Areas
• Approximately 90 BHNF Open

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FOREST SERVICE ROLE
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Forest Service Roles

• FS is Surface Management Agency
• BLM Responsible for Mineral Estate
• State Mine License
• MSHA
• EPA, Corp. of Engrs. Others

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Forest Service RolesAdministration of Minerals
Ops

• Notice of Intent
• Environmental Analysis
• Plan of Operations
• Bond
• Administration Operations
• Reclamation Oversite

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MINERAL CATEGORIES
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Three Broad Categories of Minerals

• Locatable
• Gold, Uranium, Limestone, Feldspar
• Saleable (Mineral Materials)
• Landscape Rock, Sand and Gravel
• Leasable
• Oil, Gas, Coal, Coal Bed Methane

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Locatable Minerals

• Mining Claims
• Placer - 20 Acres
• Lode 20 Acres
• Mill Site 5 Acres
• Can be located by US Citizens and Corps.
• No Claims Allowed
• Wilderness
• Withdrawal Areas
• Acquired Estates
• Claims are Filed and Recorded at BLM
• Forest Service Manages Operation on FS Surface

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FS AdministrationLocatable

• Activities Exempt from Notification
• Staking Claims
• Prospecting
• No Significant Surface Distubance
• Notice of Intent to Mine
• NEPA Plan of Operations
• Bond
• Reclamation

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MINERALS IN THE BLACK HILLS
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Minerals in Black Hills

• Gold and Silver
• Uranium
• Limestone
• Feldspar
• Mica
• Quartz
• Frac Sands
• Building Stone
• Crushed Limestone FS Use
• Oil and Gas

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Gold Prospecting

• Gold Prices -- 983 oz.
• Small Plans of Operations at this Time
• Claim Staking Exploration
• Newmont
• Paso Rico
• Bronco Creek
• Capella Resources
• Small Operators

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-- Newmont Mining -- Gold Exploration -- 80 to
250 Drill Pads -- 50 Miles Temp Road -- EIS
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-- Paso Rico Mining -- Ancilite Rare Earth
-- Drilling and Trenching
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-- Bronco Creek Exploration -- Gold
Exploration -- Drilling and Trenching
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-- Capella Resources -- Gold Exploration -- 3
Drill Pads 6000 ft
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-- Pete Lein and Sons -- Limestone Lime -- EIS
Initiated -- Mill in Rapid City
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-- Mintech -- White Hilll Mine -- Quartz -
Electronics -- Markets in Canada, China and
France
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-- Pacer -- Brite X Mine -- Mica -- Mill in Custer
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Brite-X Mica Mine
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-- Mintech -- Cliff No. 1 Mine -- Frac Sands --
Mill in Pringle
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-- Pacer -- Reuben Mine -- Feldspar -- Mill in
Custer
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Rueben Mine - Feldspar
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-- Pacer -- Brenda Kay Mine -- Feldspar -- Mill
in Custer
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-- GCC Cement -- Limestone Cement -- EIS
Initiated -- Conveyor Across Forest -- Mill in
Rapid City
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Uranium Prospecting

• Uranium Prices 8 to 120 -- Now 65 lb.
• No Plans of Operations at this Time
• Claim Staking Non FS In-Situ Mining
• Powertech
• Northern Canadian Uranium
• Great Bear Uranium

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-- Uranium Claims - Powertech - Northern
Canadian Uranium - Great Bear Uranium
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Saleable Minerals

• No Claims FS Discretion for Approval
• Dakota Stone Slate and Decorative Rock
• Decorative Rock Small Sales
• Forest Service Crushed Aggregate
• 28 Quarries
• FS Road System
• Counties

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-- Dakota Stone - Slate - Decorative
Rock -- Red Deer Red Feldspar
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FS QUARRIES - Crushed Aggregate -- 3770
Miles FS Level 2-4 Roads -- County Roads
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Redbird Quarry
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Leasable Minerals

• Oil and Gas
• Processing 7 Lease Applications
• Proponent Requests Lease at BLM
• BLM Consults w/ FS
• BLM Lease Auction
• Application for Permit to Drill
• NEPA, Bond, Roads, Drill Pads, Drilling

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-- 7 Lease Applications -- Historic
Exploration -- No Active Drilling Yet
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ABANDONED MINES PROGRAMS

• CERCLA (Superfund)
• Gilt Edge (EPA and SD)
• Minnesota Ridge
• Blue Lagoon
• Forest Abandoned Mine Program

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Superfund Blue Lagoon Mine -- 60 ft
Highwalls -- Water Ph 3.0 -- Rad, Arsenic,
Metals
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Army National Guard Red Deer Mine Open adit
prior to reclamation. Height of adit portal is
approximately 10 feet.
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Workings at Red Deer mine prior to reclamation.
Arrows show location of open adits
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Open workings shown in previous photo have been
collapsed and regraded.
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Finished grading prior to seeding.
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-- Pink Glaze Mine -- Mined Years Ago Dangerous
Highwalls -- Pacer Corp. Volunteered to
Reclaim -- Filled w/ Inert Pegmatitie Waste from
Mill, Topsoil, Seeded -- Pacer and FS identified
3 more pits for reclamation
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-- Maxine Mine -- Currently being Reclaimed --
Pacer Corp. Volunteer
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Dangerous Adits (Tunnels) and Shafts
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-- Public Safety -- Potential Bat Habitat
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Shaft at King of the West Mine
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Uranium Shaft at Ridge Runner Mine
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Backfill over Polyurethane Foam Plug
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Hardworking Student Geologists
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Shaft at Juniper Mine
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Backpacked foam into site
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THE END Questions?