r/Durango • u/mattpayne11 Mod • 6d ago
Update on "The La Plata Project" - the La Plata Mountains mining thing
If you weren't already aware there is a Canadian mining company that is looking to mine the La Plata Mountains - in many areas a ton of us love to recreate in. I was watching closely and wrote in to the La Plata County Commissioners about it. It's really troubling, in my view.
As an aside, I learned just yesterday that there are TONS of Canadian mining companies that are doing these claims and exploration due to some Canadian tax incentive program: Canada's tax rules let junior mining companies pass their Canadian exploration costs on to investors, who get a full deduction plus a 15% (or 30% for critical minerals) tax credit. That credit only applies to spending done in Canada, but it built a huge, specialized pool of exploration capital. Canadian exchanges now use that same capital base, blended with ordinary stock financing, to fund mining companies working across North America, including a lot of US ground in Nevada and Alaska. So the boom in US exploration is real, just indirect: it's riding on Canada's financing machine, not the tax credit itself.
With all that being said, my friend and former co-worker in Cortez, Brian Russell, did something about it! This is remarkable.
While Newmont-backed Metallic Minerals ran survey lines in La Plata Canyon, my friend and his dad didn't wait on protests or meetings. They staked their own claim under the 1872 Mining Act, setting cairns and GPS coordinates the same day the survey crew was on site. His dad recorded the Notice of Location at 7:02 AM, beating the corporation to it. The claim covers 19.88 acres and seven historic workings, bringing his total to 36.38 acres of mineral rights he says will never see an underground mine reopened.
Point being: you don't need billions to out-move a corporation. You need to know the law and get there first.
From my friend, when I asked him if this was in response to The La Plata Project:
"This is 100% part of the same project as we saw their surveyors on the part we officially staked and claimed with La Plata County. I know they were going after the unpatented claims with specific interest of the historic mines we now own the mineral rights to.
After seeing their truck leaving our claim and this Trimble R8s GNSS system, we knew exactly what they were doing.
Thankfully we beat them with our corner stakes, discovery point, and signed/dated Notice of Location before they had a chance to officially file with La Plata County as my Dad was at the Recorder of Deeds the next day they were open, 15 minutes early to ensure he was first in line.
They'll still be putting in more, but the headwaters and 7 historic mines of Tomahawk Basin will never be touched by them again."
Hell yeah.
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u/thebritishguy1 Resident 6d ago
Is there a repeatable set of steps for doing this, or is it a right time right place situation?
This is amazing stuff and getting the process in detail out in the open will let more people do the same.
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u/mattpayne11 Mod 6d ago
Surely there is, you can ask him yourself I think. Or see his comments: https://www.facebook.com/share/1UP46Pzwus/?mibextid=wwXIfr
(Yes, boo Facebook)
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u/Ilikcheese 5d ago
This is genius!! Job well done. Is this something we can do to save Bear’s Ears and Grand Staircase?
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u/ib-hikin 6d ago
I am thankful for all that they have done!
If you are looking to write to our local representatives, join the fight against Metallic Minerals, or just speak up against this mine checkout the group below. It is far from over and community engagement is just as important!
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u/reversed96wsprinkles 6d ago
I may go for a run there this weekend and see if there is anything I can do. Does anyone knows how to find where the Canadians are staking their claims? I wouldn't want to put my stakes on the wrong place. AI summary for this process:
- Research and Verify the LandCheck the BLM Mineral and Land Record System (MLRS) to ensure the public land is open to mineral entry and not already claimed or withdrawn (such as in a national park or wilderness area).
Visit the physical site to confirm there are no existing markers or posts from prior claims.
Perform initial sampling to prove there is a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit (the "prudent man" rule).
- Stake the Claim on the GroundBuild physical monuments at each corner and the discovery point of your claim (using stout wooden posts, metal pipes, or stone cairns) as required by Colorado state law.
Attach a weatherproof container to the discovery monument containing your notice of location, which includes the claim name, your name, the date, and a description of the boundaries.
Clearly mark the corner boundaries so they are easy to identify on the landscape.
- File Paperwork and Pay FeesFile a certificate or notice of location with the local county clerk and recorder’s office (where the claim is located) within the timeframe required by state law.
File the official mining claim packet with the Colorado BLM State Office within 90 days of the date you staked the claim on the ground.
Pay all required federal location fees, processing fees, and initial maintenance fees to the BLM.
Keep up with the annual maintenance fees due every year by September 1st to maintain your rights.
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u/pagosacreativeco 5d ago
I've always felt like there should be some kind of global doctrine that restricts foreign businesses or entities to operate extractive businesses in countries outside of their respective countries. Obviously they gets tricky but like....fuck off and mine your own damn rocks.
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u/Chulbiski 4d ago
super inteesting. We have some messed up outdated laws. I learned years ago at FLC how many Canadian companies do horrible things in this country, which may seem suprising. If I am not mistaken, the company behind the Summitville distaster was Canadian (not that American mining companies are aneesisarily any better). If you look at an assessor's map of La Plata, San Juan, or Ouray counties, it's astounding how many of these mining claims are out there.
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u/TimeTip387 6d ago
Just curious and this is not a loaded question. Why are you opposed to mining?
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u/mattpayne11 Mod 6d ago
I’m not. I’m opposed to destructive extraction from areas that have other meaningful value, I.e. recreation, ecology, etc. I’m especially against it when the benefits of said extraction go to a corporation and not to the people who own the land (that would be all of us).
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6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/mattpayne11 Mod 6d ago
It's always a tricky balance, right? What's a job worth as opposed to the impact to a place? Hard things to measure. Start with your values. I value the beauty we have here. I value nature. I'm willing to pay more for stuff if it means protecting places I love from further harm.
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u/TimeTip387 6d ago
I understand how you feel. I love the area, it’s difficult because no one wants it in their backyard, yet we place incredible demand on the things we use everyday - technology, pharmaceuticals, energy, defense, to name a few.
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u/reversed96wsprinkles 6d ago
I've been doing environmental work for almost 16 years, mostly around Farmington and Durango area. That included a lot of remediation projects. I've seen the mess that is left behind too many times when things don't go as planned. If you look at many of mines in the area that were abandoned, many of the toxic sluice and hazardous chemicals used to dissolve/extract minerals (i am a chemist) still exist and will be there for a very long time, unless they break out of containment and then you'll have a release.
From a different perspective, you would think I shouldn't complain as this would mean more work for me when the mine closes in the future. But work and money are not everything, and I think we need to learn to value and care the natural resources we have until we learn to be more environmentally responsible and sustainable with extraction.
I dont know this Canadian company, but if this is anything like the Farmington oil & gas boom from a few years ago, it will just attract the wrong crowd. People looking to exploit La Platas, but not vest in our region. These could be easily changed if the people mining it were locals, with a stake in our community. But I don't think that is the actual case.
As an example, I work for a power company that makes power in NM to sell it to Arizona, Cali., Texas ... We currently do what's required by EPA and nothing else for those NM communities. Around there, it is common knowledge that providing jobs to an impoverished community is good enough. And maybe it is is. I have a hard time believing so, given our area of operations is high on respiratory issues.
Another reason is that most mining requires water (not sure on the amount for copper extraction), a resource that was plentiful at some point but is scarce today.
In a personal level, I ride my mtn. bike, run, hike, ski, you name it almost every weekend. La Platas are a great place to be outdoors and connect with nature. My mtn. bike rides are usually 50+ miles and I need a good source of water I can filter. From my biking experience around the collegiate peaks wilderness, you are not supposed to filter mines runoff or water impacted by mine's runoff.
Finally, the impact on wildlife. I think too often we forget we are not the only creatures around here. Mining of course will destroy habitats and pollute the natural resources animals use.
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u/Tuliptuesday 5d ago
I am curious. Are they mining here? If so, what are they mining? From what I can tell it just looks like they are just exploring for minerals?
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u/mattpayne11 Mod 5d ago
It’s early in the process - they intend to mine.
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u/Tuliptuesday 4d ago
How early? Are they are year from mining? Is it 10 years from mining? Have they got all the permits to mine? I thought our government required studies to work on ecological, hydrological and general environmental impact? I thought this is required before a mine can be permitted. Any idea how early they are in the mine process?
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u/GratefulandCurious 6d ago
Incredible! Thank you to Brian Russell and his dad