Dillon BLM reviewing mining plan of operations in Madison County
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(DILLON, Mont.) – The Bureau of Land Management’s Dillon Field Office is reviewing a plan of operations to placer mine approximately 3 acres in Madison County.
The plan of operations was filed with the BLM for mining about 4 miles south of Virginia City. It was filed by Rob Opie and includes BLM lands that are part of the Dillon Field Office.
The operation includes mining a bench placer deposit about 150 feet above Spring Creek, a tributary to Alder Gulch. The deposit will be mined in a series of panels, one panel at a time, and one panel per year. Each panel will be approximately 60 feet wide, 240 feet long, and averaging 9 feet deep and will be reclaimed and re-seeded before starting on the next panel. In total, approximately 3 acres will be mined, however, no more than 15,400 square feet will be exposed or disturbed at any given time.
The plan of operations is available for review at the Dillon Field Office, located at 1005 Selway Drive in Dillon. An Environmental Assessment is expected to be completed in January and will be posted online at the agency’s ePlanning website. The public is invited to review the plan of operations and provide comments that are specific to this project.
For more information, contact BLM Geologist Steve Lubinski at slubinski@blm.gov or (406) 683-8011.
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.