Today, the Pew Environment Group released a new report entitled “Ten Treasures at Stake:  New Claims Plus an Old Law Put National Parks and Forests at Risk” that highlights the threat posed by mining to the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area in southwest Oregon.  The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area is accompanied by nine additional national parks, wilderness study areas, historic and cultural sites, and other landmarks threatened by mining activities. 

This report comes at a critical time for one of the nation’s most revered natural wonders.  This spring the Obama administration is considering whether to put federal land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park off limits to future mining claims.  The report reveals that over 8,000 mining claims have been staked in public lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon since 2004.  This 2,000% increase is just one of many reasons why Oregon Wild and PEG are asking the Obama administration to protect the canyon and modernize the 1872 mining law.  Find out more about this issue at the PEG website.  

Signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, the 1872 law gives mining companies “free and open access” to nearly 350 million acres of public land. It also allows mining companies—even those that are foreign-owned—to take approximately $1 billion annually in gold and other metals from public lands without paying a royalty, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has identified the hardrock mining industry as the nation’s top polluter, citing more than $2 billion in federal spending over the past decade on mine cleanup.

In Oregon, the Siskiyou Wild Rivers remains the hot spot for mining in Oregon, as we’ve seen claims numbers spike in recent years.  With the antiquated 1872 Mining Law in control, long term protections are needed to safeguard one of Oregon’s most unique watersheds.  The PEG report draws national attention to the need for leadership from the Obama administration on mining reform and permanent protections in Oregon and beyond.