• EPA ends "sue and settle"
• Sage grouse mineral withdrawal cancelled

If you do not have the time to read the entire document, I would suggest starting with the Executive Summary that begins on page 80.

Logging on federal land plummeted—over 84% since the 1980s. And that management tool was replaced with—nothing.

The Senator’s office was very receptive to the small miner’s plight and was unaware of the dire problems created by the over-regulation of small-scale mining from so many different fronts. It was pointed out that S 145 may help the large mining companies a little, but falls woefully short in addressing the needs of small operators who make up 85% of domestic mines.

I found I could not go prospecting in areas where I did not have a mining claim and the Forest Service thought my mere presence was a danger to the forest.

The very way it was done at the time didn’t give one much confidence in the objectivity and honesty of the BLM study.