House Natural Resources Committee Votes to Include Tribes in Updates on 1872 Mining Law
10-27-07 - North America —
The U.S. house Natural Resources Committee today voted to include provisions that will benefit U.S. Tribes in a major overhaul of the outdated 1872 Mining Law.
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. This is an important step Tribes. Important provisions, while included in original legislation introduced earlier this year, had been removed in a more recent version. Today's vote re-instates important key provisions for Tribes impacted by mining through out the west. The amendments are to H.R. 2262 – the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, legislation that has been introduced by Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Jim Costa (D-CA)
The Tribal amendments, sponsored by Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) will enable Tribes to petition the Secretary on Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to withdraw federal lands from mining activities that contain have cultural and religious values. A separate process will require the Secretaries to establish regulations in consultation with Tribes to determine the appropriate information needed for a Tribal petition requesting withdrawal on land important for cultural and religious reasons. The 1872 Mining Law overhaul establishes a Reclamation Fund. The Grijalva amendment clarifies that these moneys can be used for clean up of mining activity that has occured on Indian lands. It also includes "restoring and enhancing land, water resources, fish and wildlife habitat, and cultural resources in which an Indian Tribe holds reserved rights".
"These amendments to H.R. 2262 offer to Tribes, for the first time, an opportunity to protect that which is important to the survival of our culture" said Robert Shimek, Mining Projects Coordinator for the Indigenous Environmental Network headquartered in Bemidji, MN. "This legislation will provide Tribes the much needed means to clean up abandoned mines on Tribal Lands. For the first time, federal legislation will attempt protection and meaningful clean up of lands, cultural, and natural resources important to Indian people. Much mineral wealth been taken from Indian Lands in a manner that has been destructive to the American Indian cultural landscape. This will start the process of putting something back", Shimek added. "
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