WildEarth Guardians

Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Public Land Sales for Mining Dropped

House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo said he would work with Gibbons to modernize mining law next year
Contact: Mary Clare Jalonick Albuquerque Journal

Washington - House Republicans have dropped a provision in budget legislation that would have allowed the sale of public lands for mining.

Western senators had criticized the provision, which would have overturned an 11-year-old congressional ban that prevents mineral companies from "patenting," or buying, public land at cheap prices if the land contains mineral deposits.

Nevada Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., author of the mining legislation, revised the provision Monday in an attempt to gain some Western support. The new version dropped language that would have allowed the direct sale of some lands that no longer contained minerals.

On Tuesday, Gibbons said it was clear that even the revised provision would not make it through the Senate, where some senators had threatened to use parliamentary maneuvers to block it.

Senate Democrats who had opposed the mining provisions said they were pleased the proposal had been withdrawn.

"It would have seriously diminished New Mexicans' access to public lands for hunting, fishing, grazing, recreation and other beneficial activities," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Critics- including hunters, anglers and several Democratic Western governors- said the legislation could prompt the sale of millions of acres of public lands.

Gibbons, a mining lawyer before he came to Congress, said those claims were exaggerated and development would have helped boost the economy in mining towns.

The mining provision was included in the House version of larger budget legislation designed to cut federal spending. House and Senate negotiators are trying to finish work on that bill this week.

Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, one of the Republicans opposed to the language, said Tuesday that "the mining provision never belonged in the budget reconciliation package."

"It's important to give a voice to those who are so closely connected to our public lands," he said.

A spokesman for House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo said he would work with Gibbons to modernize mining law next year.

Associated Press writer Jennifer Talhelm contributed to this report.

Copyright 2005 Albuquerque Journal - Reprinted with permission