Mine Reclamaition Propoganda

[one_bad_rover]

What do I care about mines you ask. Well, trails. There is an old mining "right of way" law, that basically states that if there is a mine or prospect that there can exist a road to access it. This goes way above and beyond what the 4wd groups hope to accomplish because its already law. However, mine reclamaition has become a hot topic in recent years. OGM claims 95% of all of Nevadas mines are closed or reclaimed, if a mine is reclaimed, there is no longer a "right of way" as the mine isnt there... so my interest is twofold.
As to the dangers of mines, well, there is the OGM that is trying to close down every mine they can, they have done a good job so far in Nevada as no one fights them at all, out here in Utah they are attempting the same strategies, but hopefully GRE is giving them a little heartache. We actually are releasing the following letter in rebuttal to an article about the dangers of utah mines.
the article is here:
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/163096/3/

and our rebuttal is as follows:
(Note the full context of this and other news worthy issues can be viewed by using the -News and Media- link on the homepage of gold rush expeditions. this was also sent to numerous legislators and the Utah state govenor, but we need your help, all the links to congress and other pertinent people are posted on the site, please take a look and tell em to back off on the reclamaition!!)

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Corey Shuman, I am the CEO of gold rush expeditions inc., a not-for profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Utah’s Ghost towns and mines. We also offer educational services to the public to rebuke the myths about Utah’s abandoned mines.

I was recently made aware of an article that the Daily Herald ran, written by Rashae Ophus Johnson regarding abandoned mines in Utah.

I was very disturbed at the lack of research into the subject. Also, it was a very one sided article which did not portray both views of the issue of abandoned mines. I have not seen this type of bias in your paper previously, so I assume that this articles inaccuracy was due to oversight, of which I am sure, will be remedied in the future.

With that in mind, I would like to disclose some facts that are not presented by OGM or the Forest Service.

On June 28th, 2005, Mark Mesch (Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program) was credited with the following quote by the Utah Mining Association: “Since 1985 there have been five deaths and numerous injuries in abandoned mines in Utah”.
5 deaths in 20 years… I can not think of any other outdoor activity that has a fatality rate this low, with the exception of maybe fly fishing. This figure is even lower than what has been quoted before. To put this in perspective, more people were killed in avalanches in 2004 alone, than in 20 years of exploring abandoned mines. Since 1985, over 50 people have been killed in avalanches, yet we do not seek to close all avalanche areas, instead we preach caution.
To further illustrate this point, Rock climbing fatalities in 2003 were higher than the 20 year total of abandoned mine related deaths. To date we have yet to destroy any mountains due to the hazard they pose.

Mines and ghost towns are an integral part of the history of the west and of Utah in particular. Without the mines, an estimated 90% of the backcountry trails and roads would not exist. Also, without the mines and the back breaking efforts put into them, most of Utah’s population would not be where it is now. Additionally, the mines and ghost towns that dot Utah’s landscape are an integral part of Utah’s tourist tax base.

Gold Rush Expeditions fields thousands of emails each year from people planning vacations to Utah who want to visit old mines and ghost towns. They seek directions, information and history of the sites they intend to visit. I don’t think anyone can deny the rush of excitement that they feel when they find an old mine or ghost town in the back country. It’s a sense of excitement and discovery that cannot be duplicated. Yet each year, Oil, Gas and Mining seek to close more of these attractions. Each mine that is “reclaimed” is taking tourist revenue from Utah. If the current trend continues, the lure of the Ghost Towns and Mines in Utah will be gone and with it, a significant chunk of tourist revenue. Also of note is the massive funding that goes to the destruction of these mines, administration and execution of the destruction of these mines is a useless expenditure that could better be spent of preservation of an irreplaceable resource.


The plain fact is that mines are no more dangerous than any other outdoor attraction, and as numbers show, actually it would appear that mining is the least dangerous of ANY outdoor activity. As with any hobby or sport, common sense is key. A knowledge of the area, combined with basic safety precautions will virtually assure no injuries when exploring these mines.

I personally have been exploring Utah’s mines, ghost towns and ancient history for over 16 years now. In an effort to share my information and document Utah’s rapidly vanishing ghost towns and mines, I formed Gold Rush Expeditions Inc. Initially to take tourists to these sites, the focus has turned to preservation. Gold Rush Expeditions takes multiple trips each month to historic sites. We photo-document the areas and share our findings with the public. Our website, www.goldrushexpeditions.com , receives over 12,000 unique hits per month, testament to the interest in this field.

I would appreciate it if your publication retract the erroneous information presented in your previous article, or at least print both sides of the issue so that people can make an informed decision about what happens to their historic sites and the focus of their tax dollars.

If you need additional information, or I can assist you in any other way, please feel free to contact me as indicated below.

Sincerely,

[ERTECH]

right on..