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Legislative and Regulatory Update
February 2000 by Scott Harn
The 30-day extension to the public comment period ends Feb. 3, 2000. Comments may be sent to: Planning Regulations, PO Box 7669, Missoula, MT, 59807. Fax (406) 329-302l. Email: planreg/wojcaetfsfs.fed.us or visit their internet website at http://www.fs.fed.uS/forumlnepa/rule.
(2013 Note: This contact information is thirteen years old and may no longer be valid.)
In comments filed recently regarding this issue, NMA reminded the agency that while it draws its general rule-making authority from several existing laws and regulations, this does not mean that "authority is unconstrained." NMA stated that the scoping process is "flawed" and urged that it be redone.
• Endangered Species Decision Delayed.
Riverton, WY(AP)—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has postponed a decision on whether to grant
Endangered Species Act protection to a flower found only on a few acres in Fremont County.
The agency had set a deadline for a decision on the desert yellowhead, but then said more time would be needed.
The Bureau of Land Management first needs to release a plan for managing the plant's habitat on Beaver Rim, said Mike Long, Fish and Wildlife Service field supervisor. "We want to see what protective measures they have in place," he said.
If the plan sufficiently removes or reduces threats to the plant, Endangered Species Act protection will not be necessary, he said. The Fish and Wildlife Service should have a better idea next month of when it can issue a final decision, he said.
A perennial herb in the sunflower family, the desert yellowhead was discovered in 1990. About 11,000 plants were counted in 1998 on its known range of about 10 acres.
The BLM banned hard mineral surface mining on 3,759 acres around the plant's habitat last summer to create a study area and a buffer zone.
As part of the same action, the land cannot be part of a land exchange or sale, and ranchers have been asked not to develop water holes or place salt licks near the plant population.
• 43 CFR Part 3800—Mining Claims Under the General Mining Laws: Surface Management-Supplemental proposed rule: reopening of comment period on environmental impact statement.
The Bureau of Land Management reopened the comment period on the surface management proposed rule and the associated draft environmental impact statement. The comment period will be closing on February 23, 2000. Web address: www.blm.gov/nhp/news/regulatory/index.htm
The Bawl Mill
• Tropical island tax havens for big business...
• Who is guarding the loot?
• US Forest "Self" Service
China Gold Imports Increased 500 Percent in 2010
It’s been no secret that the prices of gold and silver have been moving upward at a fast clip in recent months. Gold has soared 27 percent so far this year. There has not been a significant drop-off in production, so it’s been evident that an increase in demand has been a part of the force driving the price upward.
The Wild Rush To Find More Cobalt—Part II
In this second part on cobalt, I will take a look at the various types of cobalt deposits and how you can prospect for them. Who knows—perhaps the next big cobalt strike will be yours.
The Wisdom of Mark Twain—And Tales of Cheating the Unwary Prospector
I (enjoy) Twain’s description of a gold mine, “A hole in the ground with a liar at the top.” Some humor here? You bet, but I’m sure he meant it to be a real eye opener as well.
Melman on Gold & Silver
Two potentially important Canadian projects, which could have produced revenues in the billions and jobs in the tens of thousands, have now been officially abandoned and the reasons offered by both relate to the economic impossibility of successfully negotiating all the regulatory obstacles that have been presented.
Cobalt and Nickel in Missouri
Cobalt and nickel are tough silver-white metals, with similar physical properties, that frequently occur together in nature, along with copper sulfides. Cobalt and nickel are used as alloys, providing great strength and resistance...
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The Bawl Mill
• Clinton Declares Three More National Monuments
• McCain Derides Clinton Forest Policy
• Foreigners Lure Mining Partners
• Pacific Island Gov'ts Focus on Undersea Mining
• Options Narrowed for Managing Chugach National Forest
• Company Notes
• Diamond Fever
• Gold in Jasperoid
• Underground Geologic Mapping
• New Quarry Regulations in West Virginia
• Ash Fork Calm After Explosives Theft
• Picks & Pans: Mining in Ghana
• Little Rocky Mountains, Montana
• Collector Reaches New Lows to Find Bottles
• Chinese Camp, California and the Tong War of 1856
• Millie's Tailings
• Visionaries, Scoundrels, and Gamblers
• Executive Defends Special Mill Site Exemption
• Chasing the Ghosts of Forty-Niners
• Washoe County Balks at Black Rock Desert Plan
• State's Only Gold Mine Processes Last Precious Ore
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Looking Back
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