Obama Administration Blocks New Gold Mining Claims Outside of Yellowstone

Jon Blogosphere, Economy, Gold, Government, Precious Metals

The U. S. moved Monday to block gold mining outside of Yellowstone National Park, and the Obama Administration is seeking to keep industry out of natural and environmentally sensitive areas.
Mining claims on 30,370 acres to the north of Yellowstone would be prohibited for at least two years. A long-term ban is being considered, according to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on a visit to Montana’s Paradise Valley, according to The Missoulian. Last week interior officials blocked new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, and cancelled 25 oil and gas leases in west Colorado, as well as 15 in northwestern Montana.
The moves to undermine new mining claims took place after gold exploration proposals north of Yellowstone were opposed by business owners, environmentalists and Montana officials. Mining could destroy an economy driven by tourism and the outdoors, claim opponents, by damaging the environment.
Ms. Jewell hiked through the landscape around one now banned mining site. She hopes a temporary ban discourages the projects’ sponsors from future mining activity in the region, and helps to protect Yellowstone and Custer-Gallatin National Forest. The two-year prohibition is not the end of the mining proposals, which are on private lands. But government officials believe they have dealt the projects a blow.

This post was published at GoldSilverBitcoin on NOVEMBER 22, 2016.