As Mining Reform Bill Moves Through Congress, Sportsmen Endorse Conservation Measures

News for Immediate Release
Oct. 23, 2007
Contact: Land Tawney, National Wildlife Federation, 406-721-6705, tawney@nwf.org

As Mining Reform Bill Moves Through Congress, Sportsmen Endorse Conservation Measures

Sportsmen’s coalition urges establishment of funds for habitat restoration

WASHINGTON – Earlier today, the House Committee on Natural Resources approved a sweeping mining reform bill that could result in an overhaul of the General Mining Law of 1872, which governs the mining of hard-rock minerals such as gold, silver and uranium on Western public lands. A full House vote could take place in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, an alliance of sportsmen’s groups is speaking out in favor of reform and a responsible approach to hard-rock mining that allows for better management of America’s fish and wildlife resources.

The Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining campaign is a coalition of organizations and individual grassroots partners united to preserve the American traditions of hunting and fishing through sensible mining practices. The coalition is spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and Trout Unlimited (TU), with numerous other hunting, angling and conservation groups joining in. This groundbreaking campaign asks that Congress assess a royalty from any minerals taken from public lands, strengthen conservation protections, allow “good Samaritans” reclamation incentives and common-sense liability relief, and prohibit the patenting or sale of public lands.

Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining has endorsed HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, which was proposed in May by U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-W.Va.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

“We applaud Rep. Rahall’s leadership in developing long-needed reform of the 1872 Mining Law,” said Land Tawney, manager of the sportsmen’s campaign. “His bill will get funding to the ground where past mining operations have taken our fish and wildlife resources from it.”

“Sportsmen urge Congress to support just compensation of the American public for mining operations on public lands,” Tawney continued. “Royalty payments assessed to the mining industry are essential to restoring fish and wildlife habitats that have been degraded by mining activities. Furthermore, special places, such as National Wildlife Refuges, should be entirely off limits to mining. These public lands provide some of the best hunting and fishing opportunities in this country – opportunities we’ll never recover if they’re ruined by irresponsible mining.”

Under the 1872 Mining Law, more than 270 million acres of federal land are open to hard-rock mining, mostly in the Rocky Mountain West. Because the 1872 law has never been meaningfully reformed, many of America’s most treasured public lands are at risk, including important wildlife habitat and hunting areas, valuable fisheries, popular recreation sites, vital municipal water supplies and sensitive roadless areas. Public lands contain more than 50 percent of the nation’s blue-ribbon trout streams and more than 80 percent of critical elk habitat.

Learn more about Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining.