Land Exchange and Mineral Withdrawal Proposed for Mount Emmons
Proposal is a significant step towards permanent protection for Red Lady and the Upper Gunnison River Watershed
CRESTED BUTTE, CO (February 23, 2021) — Mt. Emmons Mining Company (MEMC), the owner of mine claims on Mt. Emmons, a prominent peak rising above the Town of Crested Butte and known locally as Red Lady, has initiated a federal review process for a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service on properties in the Gunnison National Forest. In a press release that it released on February 23, MEMC’s stated objective of the proposal was to effectively end the possibility of mining on Red Lady while allowing for more efficient management of on-site water treatment operations for historic acid mine drainage.
The proposal from MEMC includes a land exchange whereby the company would acquire lands surrounding the mine water treatment plant at the historic Keystone Mine site and related road infrastructure on Mt. Emmons. In exchange, the company would transfer to the Forest Service private property located in the nearby Ohio Creek headwaters. The land exchange process would be initiated in conjunction with a federal withdrawal of mineral rights for the area where the Mt. Emmons mine and its operations had been previously proposed. In addition, the company would agree to a conservation easement that would forever prohibit mining on Mt. Emmons while preserving existing recreational opportunities.
“This is a big step towards a permanently mine-free Red Lady. However, we’re still not to the finish line. Numerous steps remain to be taken, including the withdrawal, land exchange, and establishment of conservation easements on the company’s private lands” said Julie Nania, High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) Water Program Director. “There are significant practical details to work out, so it’s critical that the process is transparent and that our community has sufficient opportunity to weigh in and secure assurances that the properties transferred to MEMC will remain protected. HCCA looks forward to working with the local parties and MEMC as these details are developed.”
HCCA’s Executive Director, Brett Henderson stated that “HCCA and our community have been working to remove the threat of a large-scale mine on Red Lady for 44 years. This is a positive development for the future of our watershed and our community’s way of life. We are here today because of the thousands of members and supporters spanning generations that have voiced their concerns. We are cautiously hopeful that this is the pathway forward for permanent protection of Mt. Emmons that we have been fighting for.”
