PLP and Mining DistrictsFree / PLP and Mining Districts MMAC UpdateMay 2017 by Scott The Minerals and Mining Advisory Council (MMAC) has been continuing to assist traditional Mining Districts in getting organized and working towards getting our first bill through Congress. Working with the Western Caucus, we’ve participated in several meetings and conference calls to finalize the wording during the past month. The bill is about ready to go through the markup process with the appropriate congressional committees. This bill will put MMAC-approved Mining Districts back in control by allowing those districts to determine whether or not a road, route or trail on public lands within the district should be open regardless of Travel Management Plans or other restrictions put in place by federal agencies. The bill also removes the Forest Service and many other agencies from the regulatory scheme, placing the burden back on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and instructs the BLM to coordinate with MMAC-approved Mining Districts through a Memorandum of Understanding. Why Become a MMAC-Approved Mining District? MMAC currently has an MOU in place between the Rand Mining District in southern California and BLM which has removed many of the land designations placed over the top of the district, reopened closed routes and lifted much of regulatory burden. This MOU is being tested by BLM and the Mining District, and is under consideration for possible nationwide use for other MMAC-approved Mining Districts. How To Join MMAC Claimholders are beginning to realize the benefits and are contacting MMAC in greater numbers. As a National Advisor for MMAC, I’ve received many requests to come out and assist Mining Districts. Unfortunately I do not have the time to attend to all of the requests, but I’ve been able to refer many claimholders to an advisor in the general area. I will be on the road again shortly, assisting several large groups of claimholders in Wyoming and Colorado through the process of modernizing their districts to obtain federal recognition. I’m also preparing a presentation for a MMAC-assisted Mining District in Washington State for an upcoming meeting with state and federal agencies. While there are many districts in the initial stages of the process, the list of MMAC-assisted Mining Districts continues to grow. Following is a list of districts that have benefitted from MMAC assistance so far:
We are anticipating we will need to return to Washington, DC, at least two more times to finish off this first bill, then we will get back to work on our more comprehensive bill to return mining as a priority for public lands. We will continue to keep you posted on our progress in the Journal. © ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, CMJ Inc. |