By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
The U.S. Forest Service Seward Ranger District is completing talks with Hope Mining Company President Al Johnson to allow placer mining on Resurrection Creek in Hope.
A final approval is expected by the end of the month, clearing the way for the Anchorage based company to open mining operations in three areas along the creek.
The company itself does not do any mining but leases claims to miners seeking mainly gold and silver.
“We get a royalty from the miners,” said Johnson. “It’s small mining compared to big commercial. Operations are anywhere from two to five people. There are three groups right now. We have different areas to mine, but right now our focus is on the areas that are included in the Resurrection Creek restoration plan for fish enhancement.”
The Forest Service is currently planning the second phase of an ambitious restoration project to try to restore three miles of the creek to a natural “pre-mining” condition before mining started on the creek in the late 1800’s.
Areas 19 and 5A are the two areas proposed for Phase II of the Resurrection creek Stream and Riparian Restoration Project located on the west side of Resurrection Creek Road at approximately milepost three, just outside of Hope.
But before restoration of the creek can begin, mining operations must be completed in the two areas.
“We’ll probably go into 5A,” said Johnson, who bought Hope Mining Company in 1973—the company first started in 1908. “It’s hard to tell when we will finish mining. We’re trying to get finished before the Forest Service moves the creek. We’re in Area 5 now and we’re just moving into 5A. There won’t be any noticeable affects.”
Proposals to mine the area were submitted by Hope Mining Company for three areas: 5A (11.1 acres), 19 (8.5 acres) and 20A (1 acre). The proposals were submitted over a one-year period starting in August of 2007.
The Forest Service then took public comments from Dec. 10, 2008 to Jan. 9, 2009.
Concerns were raised by the public regarding the effects of mining operations on wildlife and the environment, salmon runs, and conflicts with recreational activities on the creek and adjacent landowners.
After reviewing the public comments, an Environmental Assessment and a Decision Notice and Finding for No Significant Impact was submitted by Seward District Ranger Travis Moseley on May 29, 2009.
One appeal was filed following the EA and Decision Notice. Valerie Connor, the Conservation Director for the Alaska Center for the Environment, filed an appeal after she noticed some discrepancies between the Environmental Assessment and the Decision Notice.
“Some of them were just small things they didn’t catch in the editing process,” Connor said. “But there were other things like the EA making the recommendation of a 70-foot buffer along Resurrection Creek, but in the Decision Notice, it was reduced to 20 feet. I felt that mining up to 20 feet from the stream was too close.”
Connor eventually signed off of the 20-foot buffer after talking to the Forest Service about the restoration plans.
Connor visited the sites of the claims with Forest Service representatives and Johnson and was satisfied with the mitigation measures in place to reclaim the entire project area and return it to natural conditions.
One of the more adverse affects on the creek isn’t from current mining activities, but from tailing piles left by hydraulic mining in the early 1900’s.
“They’re like concrete walls preventing the creek to naturally meander,” Connor said, “and without little riffles and ponds, the fish won’t spawn. They do spawn in places, but it could be better. There’s plenty of places when they can’t spawn because the creek’s too fast.”
Connor said she was satisfied with the decision of the Forest Service and Hope Mining Company to require old tailings be removed and the mining area be leveled out and returned to its prior contour.
The cooperation between Hope Mining Company and the Forest Service is a unique one, allowing the mining of natural resources in conjunction with restoration work on active mining claims.
One of the primary goals of restoring Resurrection Creek to its pre-mining condition is to revive the wild salmon runs. The creek is a spawning area for pink, silver, chum and king salmon, but the runs have suffered from the 200-plus years of mining activity and so too have the bears that feed on the fish and other animals that rely on the creek.
Phase I of the restoration project was completed in June 2006 on a portion of the creek located three-quarters-of-a-mile above Hope Mining Company claims, just south of the bridge that crosses over the creek to Resurrection Pass Trailhead at the end of Resurrection Creek Road.
Now with mining expected to begin next month, the Forest Service will monitor active operations regularly during the operating season.
The approximately 20.6 acres of areas approved for the mining plan of operations will expire on June 1, 2014 with mining typically occurring from March to November.
A verbal agreement was also reached during the appeal process between Hope Mining Company and residents living nearby the mining activity to not operate during the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.
No mining will take place in the winter because placer mining requires flowing water and mining usually closes down for the season at the end of October.
