Rio Tinto Files Mineral Claims over 5,000 Acres of the Gila National Forest
Within days of Ivanhoe Electric’s withdrawal of its draft exploration Plan of Operations, GRIP discovered that Rio Tinto, through its subsidiary Kennecott Exploration, had filed with BLM and the Grant County Clerk’s Office documentation for 250 lode claims on approximately 5,000 acres of the Gila National Forest near the Continental Divide Trail, northwest of Silver City.
A number of factors could be driving the current mineral exploration boom in the area. Federal tax breaks for mineral development along with the current administration’s prioritization of mining on public lands and weakening of federal environmental laws provide mining companies with a giant window of opportunity.
To date, Rio Tinto has neither contacted the Gila National Forest nor submitted an exploration proposal.
The Gila National Forest is a treasured landscape, cherished for its rich biological diversity, cultural heritage, and world-class recreational opportunities. GRIP will continue to track these claims and stand firmly against any project that puts the Forest’s irreplaceable values at risk.
Please sign the petition and tell the Forest Service to provide for public notice, public participation and public review of any exploration or mine Plan of Operations that is submitted. The Forest Service must protect the Gila National Forest from mineral exploration and mining given the harmful impacts of these activities on Grant County’s natural resources, economy, and quality of life.
Check out the Silver City Daily Press article – Mining the Gila: One steps back, another steps in
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