Mining News: BLM considers relinquishing lands next to Fort Knox Mine

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management May 8 announced that its Eastern Interior Field Office is considering a proposal to relinquish 709 acres of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration land adjacent to Kinross Gold Corp.’s Fort Knox gold mine near Fairbanks. This land is a priority for acquisition by the state. In October, NOAA filed a notice of intent to relinquish this 709-acre parcel that lies about three miles northeast of NOAA’s Fairbanks Command and Data Acquisition Station, commonly known as the Gilmore Creek Satellite Tracking Station. The administration said it no longer needs this land withdrawal to fulfill its mission. This area, however, covers an area immediately west of the phase-8 expansion of Fort Knox and could add to the mine’s life. In 2014, BLM authorized Kinross to carry out exploration on this property. The BLM Eastern Interior Field Office is now preparing an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act to assess the relinquishment and determine whether the land is suitable for return to the public domain. The federal land manager is seeking input from the public to identify current uses and issues within the parcel to aid in its determination. A public comment period for the project started April 25 and has been extended through June 1. The public can learn more about the proposal and submit comments at a May 18 public meeting at the Steese Fire Department Station 62 in Fairbanks.

–SHANE LASLEY

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