Public comment period ends April 13.

Oro Vista Mine operator Vernon Martinez has proposed to mine for gold using suction dredging in the Arkansas River near the Numbers Rapids, approximately 12 miles north of Buena Vista.

According to the Plan of Operations submitted to the U.S. Forest Service, mining would occur in three phases, beginning with two phases of suction dredging “in the active river channel” and would occur seasonally for five years.

The dredging process would involve removing riverbed sediments through a 4-inch suction intake, and a centrifuge would be used to extract placer gold from the sediments, according to the plan.

The third phase of mining would involve digging 20-25 holes 4-6 feet deep using 6-inch-diameter two-man hand augers.

The proposed mining site is three unpatented mining claims owned by Martinez in the Leadville Ranger District of the San Isabel National Forest.

The Plan of Operations calls for mining to take place for up to 216 days per year with as many as six people working up to six days a week at the site. The mine would also require use of a currently closed, non-system road to access the site, which would affect 0.86 acres of forest land.

Per the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment for the proposed operation.

The Forest Service anticipates the project to be “categorically excluded from requiring analysis in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. … Projects that are categorically excluded from documentation in an EA or EIS are not subject to objection per federal law.”

For comments to be fully considered, they need to be submitted to the Forest Service by April 13. Comments can be submitted electronically to amy.j.titterington@usda.gov with the subject line “Oro Vista Mine.”

Comments can be submitted by mail to:
Patrick Mercer, District Ranger
USDA Forest Service
Leadville Ranger District
810 Front St., Leadville, CO 80461

Comments can also be faxed to 719-486-3875. For additional information, visit the Forest Service website or contact Amy Titterington at amy.j.titterington@usda.gov or 719-836-2031.

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Joe Stone

Joe Stone is an award-winning journalist and science writer with an extensive background in water and forest health issues. Joe has reported on local, regional and state water issues for more than 20 years, and he wrote and edited numerous reports about water, ecology and environmental issues while working at Oak Ridge National Lab. Joe's background also includes serving on the South Platte Basin Roundtable, the Chaffee County Planning Commission, the Friends of Browns Canyon Board, and the Harris Park Water and Sanitation District Board.

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