Permits

Fortunately, in spite of our history, it is no longer strictly the "wild west" in Colorado. Mining operations require permits, which are granted by government agencies, who are staffed by servants of the public. That's us, folks, and whether or not we ultimately prevail, it is our responsibility to make ourselves heard.

Multiple agencies and types of permits will be required for both the exploratory and operational phases of any mining to take place. Some of the details are given below. Some of these will offer formal opportunities for public comment; others will not. This page will keep you informed of the formal opportunities. It will also offer direction for sending in comments even where no formal mechanism is provided.

Stay tuned here for info about a special event where an expert will offer in person advice and training in how to communicate effectively with our public agencies.

Agencies and political entities involved in permitting:

Colorado Department of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS):

You can search through their complete document selection here. This is not too helpful unless you know exactly what you're looking for, but if you search for "P2020011", you'll see the Allard site permit, and "P2023012" will get you the Copper Hill site.

Wild cards can be used in the 'Search terms' field to look for new permit applications and submittals, eg 'P2026* '

United States Forest Service (USFS):

For USFS approved Plan of Operations details: Minerals - Metallic Minerals Exploratory Core Sampling.

Also, this page contains a link to send questions about the project directly to the Forest Service. I'm not sure how useful this is, but if you use it, please be respectful. The truth is that most forest service employees are sympathetic to our cause.

There is also a link on the same page where you can receive email updates on the project.

Colorado Department of Water Resources:

Water is going to be a big issue for ore processing. Stay tuned.

La Plata County:

MM is apparently applying for a major land use permit for their exploratory drilling. More to come on this. In the meantime, there is a generic online form for sending comments: Contact the Board of County Commissioners

Montezuma County:

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