A public land order published today by the U.S. Department of the Interior withdraws 9,360 acres of lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Indian Pass area of Imperial County from filing of new mining claims and certain other uses to protect archaeological and cultural resources considered sacred to the nearby Quechan Indian Tribe.

The 20-year withdrawal protects the public lands from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general land laws, including the mining laws, subject to valid existing rights. The area will remain open to other uses, including recreational use, mineral leasing, and saleable minerals, which will continue to be managed under the California Desert Plan's limited use (Class L) guidelines.  The Indian Pass area is located in eastern Imperial County approximately 45 miles northeast of El Centro, Calif. and 20 miles northwest of Yuma, Ariz.

BLM Desert District Manager Tim Salt said the withdrawal does not substantially affect existing claims in the area currently held by Glamis Imperial Corporation, which has submitted a proposed plan of operations to the BLM for the Imperial Project, an open-pit, heap-leach gold mining operation encompassing approximately 1,500 acres of BLM-managed public lands within the Indian Pass area.

BLM is currently evaluating that proposal and plans to publish a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report FEIS/EIR shortly.  A final decision on that project is expected to be issued around the end of the year.

California Desert District Office - 6221 Box Springs Blvd, Riverside, California - (909) 697-5220