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Schroder
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PostSun Apr 26, 2020 2:01 pm 
It's featured in a Herald article and a new book that's just come out.
available at Amazon

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RichP
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PostSun Apr 26, 2020 3:37 pm 
I was planning to go to the book launch on April 22 in Moscow where Sowards is a history professor at The U of I but it was postponed due to covid-19. Looks like a fascinating book. https://www.bookpeopleofmoscow.com/event/postponed-book-launch-w-adam-sowardsan-open-pit-visible-moon

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gb
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PostMon Apr 27, 2020 6:26 am 
An even riskier and more damaging proposal is the Pebble Mine at the head of the Copper River. The Copper flows into Bristol Bay which has likely the largest sustainable salmon fishery in Alaska, and perhaps the world. The value of the salmon over time would dwarf private company riches from mining. The risk, of course, is the spill of mining waste and leachates into the river. The riskiest mining proposal in North America There are any number of articles on this risk from a variety of sources.

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Kim Brown
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PostMon Apr 27, 2020 9:28 am 
Now I'm worried that Miner's Ridge will be overrun with backpackers this summer.... But yeah, can't get it from the library yet; Sowards has another book about the environmental history of the West Coast, but.....can't put it on hold. Let us know what you think, Randy. I know a couple of lucky souls who have the book.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Dick B
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PostMon Apr 27, 2020 10:15 am 
My Dad, brother and I passed the mining encampment when we hiked out of Lyman to Trinity back in the mid 60's. All I remember were some wall tents, and a hand painted sign that said something like "Ridgefield Pop.45". Had a picture somewhere. I can remember a lot of helicopter traffic going somewhere. We had a similar situation down here on the 3 Sisters Wilderness in the 70s I believe. A mining company had a claim on a pumice deposit on Rock Mesa near the PCT and southwest of the South Sister. Big fight as to whether they could actually commence the operation. I think the Forest Service struck a deal with them and bought out the claim. Don't have many details. Maybe all they wanted was some cash out of the deal.

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Anne Elk
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PostMon Apr 27, 2020 6:57 pm 
Thanks for posting this. I don't read the Herald so would otherwise not have heard of it. You always put up such interesting stuff in this section. up.gif

"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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PostTue Apr 28, 2020 8:22 am 
I am old enough to remember this. There is a massive structure up there, down below the trail, but I have never been to it. You can only see it from across the valley, never from the trail up the Suiattle. Anyone been down there to take images? I have walked through the old camps and found bright blue chunks of ore but that is about it.

Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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Malachai Constant
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PostTue Apr 28, 2020 4:22 pm 
A couple weeks ago we were in eastern Arizona heading home. We drove on highway 191 one of the crookedest highways in the US peaking out over 9000’. A portion of the highway goes through Safford Arizona the location of a huge open pit copper mine. The scene is unworldly resembling Mordor on a bad day. There was a mountain ridge here at one time now it is dusty rotten rock where they run ponds and creeks of sulphuric acid to dissolve out the copper. The air is filled with a toxic haze and no plants grow. It is hard and frightening to think of beautiful Miners Ridge converted into a landscape like that. We should thank the environmental movement for preventing that nightmare.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Kim Brown
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PostTue Apr 28, 2020 4:45 pm 
North Cascades Conservation Council among them; we love to harsh on these sometimes-zealots; but back in the day, they really did some good work.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Schroder
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PostTue Apr 28, 2020 4:50 pm 
You can also get a good impression what it would have been like along Highway 3 in B.C. near Princeton, between Hope and Penticton. The Copper Mountain mine.

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gb
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PostWed Apr 29, 2020 7:20 am 
Kim Brown wrote:
North Cascades Conservation Council among them; we love to harsh on these sometimes-zealots; but back in the day, they really did some good work.
They still do. Reactionary responses begin as political movements looking for something to attack.

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Kim Brown
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PostWed Apr 29, 2020 10:25 am 
With some exceptions, I don't respect the current NC3 much. I won't go into details here, but yes, they have done good work - not sure about currently, but we certainly enjoy benefits of what was done in the past.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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MtnGoat
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PostWed Apr 29, 2020 11:36 am 
Malachai Constant wrote:
A couple weeks ago we were in eastern Arizona heading home. We drove on highway 191 one of the crookedest highways in the US peaking out over 9000’. A portion of the highway goes through Safford Arizona the location of a huge open pit copper mine. The scene is unworldly resembling Mordor on a bad day. There was a mountain ridge here at one time now it is dusty rotten rock where they run ponds and creeks of sulphuric acid to dissolve out the copper. The air is filled with a toxic haze and no plants grow. It is hard and frightening to think of beautiful Miners Ridge converted into a landscape like that. We should thank the environmental movement for preventing that nightmare.
Imagine where all the copper for the Green Dream must come from. At some point people need to come to grips with the reality of where what they want actually comes from.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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MtnGoat
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PostWed Apr 29, 2020 11:40 am 
gb wrote:
An even riskier and more damaging proposal is the Pebble Mine at the head of the Copper River. The Copper flows into Bristol Bay which has likely the largest sustainable salmon fishery in Alaska, and perhaps the world. The value of the salmon over time would dwarf private company riches from mining. The risk, of course, is the spill of mining waste and leachates into the river. The riskiest mining proposal in North America There are any number of articles on this risk from a variety of sources.
So the value of the private salmon mining is asserted to be higher than the value of the private gold mining. An interesting assertion, given that private was left out of one description but not the other. The EPA attempted to stop the mine before they even got a proposal, a clear indication of bias unsupported by consideration of the proposal.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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Schroder
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PostWed Apr 29, 2020 1:14 pm 
MtnGoat wrote:
value of the private salmon mining is asserted to be higher than the value of the private gold mining
You've got to be kidding huh.gif If you want to discuss the politics of Pebble Mine, take it over here. This thread is about the history of Miners Ridge and a new book coming out.

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