On Capitol Hill

• Interior Secretary Salazar Testifies in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  Read a press release and fact sheet from Sportsment United for Sensible Mining. See also information from the U.S. Department of the Interior, including a link to Secretary Salazar's full opening statement. (July 14, 2009)

Resources in the West

• Precious Metals Precious Trout: Can Montana Continue Extracting the One without Harming the Other?
  (Montana Outdoors article on fish and the mining industry, PDF)



• Golden Anchor Mine Blowout
  News coverage: Biologists checking fish following mine blowout.



• Hardrock Mining: Re-think; Reform — The Greater Yellowstone Region
  Watch the video from the Outdoor Alliance and Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining.



• An audit finds serious hazards from abandoned mines — the Department of Interior Inspector General chastises the Bureau of Land Management. Read news coverage and the IG's report.



• SUSM's new report details the devastating impacts of the 1872 Mining Law on public lands in 13 Western states. Read Sensible Solutions: Balancing Hardrock Mining with Fish and Wildlife Resources in the West.

Also On Capitol Hill

• Senate Letter:
  Co-sponsor S 796, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009



• Radio Ad:
  Tom Arvas, Chairman of the New Mexico's Game Commission, calls on Senators Domenici and Bingaman to reform the 1872 Mining Law (audio)



• Former Fish and Game Directors Support Mining Reform
  Letter signed by 29 former agency directors from across the West voices support for reform of the 1872 Mining Law now being considered by Congress. Read the letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee or our press release.



• Sportsmen Unite for Sensible Mining Reform
  Over 400 hunting and fishing organizations from across the country demand reform now! Read the letter to the U.S. Senate.



• Mike Dombeck's testimony on Capitol Hill
  January 24, 2008



• Letter to Senators Bingaman and Domenici
  This letter went to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in January. Sign your business or organization on to the letter — contact Land Tawney.



• Mining Reform Bill Passes House!
  On November 1st, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007. Read a press release or see how your Representative voted.



• Letter to the House Natural Resources Committee
  on the Markup of HR 2262
  Tom St. Hilaire (Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership), Chris Wood (Trout Unlimited) and Jim Lyon (National Wildlife Federation)
  October 15, 2007



• House Natural Resources Committee
  Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
  Field Hearing on HR 2262
  Elko, Nevada 8/21/07
  Testimony



• HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007



• Congress Daily Ad
  Click here for a larger version of the ad to the right, which ran in the Capitol Hill publication Congress Daily in July of 2007



• Letter to members of Congress asking for Sensible Mining ASAP
  July 25, 2007
  Sign your business or organization on to the letter — contact Land Tawney



• Tony Dean's Testimony on Capitol Hill
  July 26, 2007

News Archive

• Mining Act reform stuck between Reid and a hard place
  (Medford, Ore.) Mail Tribune
  6.3.08



• We need an update to law now
  Missoulian
  6.2.08



• It's past time to reform the mining law
  (Medford, Ore.) Mail Tribune
  6.1.08



• It's time for mining law to undergo change
  Billings (Mont.) Gazette
  5.4.08



• Senate goes slow on mine law; reformers champ at bit
  Public Lands News
  5.2.08



• Outdoors fans wish to fix mining's scars
  Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal
  4.16.08



• Hunters, fishers outline habitat protection goals in reform of hardrock law
  Land Letter
  4.10.08



• Outdoor groups call for mining reform
  Greenwire
  4.9.08



• Hunters, anglers urge reform of 1972 Mining Law
  Billings (Mont.) Gazette
  4.8.08



• Men in boots vs. ... more men in boots
  High Country News
  4.8.08



• Coalition calls for new mining laws
  Missoulian
  3.27.08



• 136 years later, mine law may get update
  Denver Post
  3.19.08



• Don't buy fool's gold
  New West
  3.13.08



• Mining law should reflect today's priorities
  Rocky Mountain News
  3.1.08



• Tester, take the lead on mining law
  New West
  3.6.08



• Group calls for updated mining laws
  (Medford, Ore.) Mail Tribune
  2.29.08



• Stop mining giveaways: Drilling permit near Grand Canyon brings mining law's obsolescence into focus
  Las Vegas Sun
  2.10.08



• Senators indicate support for reform of mining law
  Jackson Hole Star-Tribune
  1.25.08



• Wildlife, politics do mix
  Rocky Mountain News
  1.22.08



• Former Forest Service chief to advocate for mining law reform before Senate
  Mineweb
  1.22.08



• Stevens Point conservationist to testify on mining law before U.S. Senate
  Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald
  1.17.08



• Let's reform the 1872 Mining Law — finally
  High Country News
  1.14.08



• New Mexico leaders call on Congress to bring mining laws out of the 'wild West'
  Public News Service
  1.10.08



• A mixed bag of conservation news-including ... mining reform
  The (Aledo, Ill.) Times Record
  12.26.07



• Western communities rally for hard-rock mining reform
  Summit (Colo.) Daily News/Associated Press
  12.9.07



• Angling for wilderness protection
  Colorado Springs Independent
  11.29.07



• Mining law reform is a no-brainer
  New West
  11.15.07



• House passes hard rock bill with gross royalty; veto sure
  Public Lands News
  11.9.07



• House delegation united on mining reform
  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  11.6.07



• House approves hard rock bill with gross royalty; veto promised
  Public Lands News
  11.2.07



• Sportsmen applaud 1872 Mining Act reform
  Aspen Daily News
  11.2.07



• 'After 135 years,' mine bill passes: Measure passed in U.S. House aims to protect environment
  The (Grand Junction, Colo.) Daily Sentinel
  11.2.07



• Lawmakers may change mining contract rates
  National Public Radio
  10.31.07



• Hearings over, way is open for house mine law drafting
  Public Lands News
  10.12.07



• Miners get ready to extract a deal
  Congressional Quarterly
  9.24.07



• Mining law reform being discussed
  Black Hills (S.D.) Pioneer
  9.10.07



• Reid goes public in favor — somewhat — of mine law reform
  Public Lands News
  9.4.07



• House's new mining bill could overhaul 1872 Mining Law
  Reno (Nev.) Gazette Journal 8.30.07



• NEVADA VIEWS: Mining law must be reformed
  Las Vegas Review-Journal
  8.26.07



• U.S. mining law compromise urged by senate majority leader
  Mineweb.net 8.22.07



• Writers on the Range: America needs clean water - and mining law reform
  Summit (Colo.) Daily News
  7.31.07



• Two key senators open to supporting changes to hardrock law
  Greenwire
  7.30.07



• Nevadan joins push for mining changes
  Associated Press/Elko (Nev.) Daily Free Press
  7.27.07



• Hard rock explorers take tough line on mine law reform
  Public Lands News
  7.27.07



• Sportsmen want mining law revised
  The Denver Post
  7.26.07



• Sportsmen, wildlife groups push for hardrock mining changes
  The Associated Press
  7.25.07