BLM Goat Mountain Prospecting Decision
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Portland, Ore. – Today the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced the release of the Decision Record for the Goat Mountain Hardrock Prospecting Permit Applications and Finding of No Significant Impact.
The decision authorizes issuance of two hardrock prospecting permits to Ascot USA, Inc. (Ascot) for geotechnical exploration within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The permit covers an area near Goat Mountain northeast of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in western Washington. The decision incorporates all of the specified prospecting permit conditions and recommendations from the U.S. Forest Service. The BLM decision that is being announced is subject to a 30-day appeal.
In 2011, Ascot submitted two applications for hardrock prospecting permits for approximately 900 acres in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in northwestern Skamania County, Washington. Since the subject lands were purchased by or donated to the Federal government, hardrock minerals are available for prospecting only by permit issued by the BLM with the consent of the U.S. Forest Service that manages the surface and other resources of these lands.
The prospecting permits grant Ascot the exclusive right to prospect on and explore for hardrock mineral deposits during the term of the permits. Any future proposal for leasing and site development would be subject to public notification, separate National Environmental Policy Act analysis, and administrative action by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service.
Copies of the BLM Decision Record, Finding of No Significant Impact, and other supporting documentation, including the Environmental Assessment, are available on BLM’s ePlanning site: http://1.usa.gov/1NFp1eT
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.