USFS Public Comment Period Concludes February 22!
Submitting comments regarding the 2018 SREA
The U.S. Forest Service is concluding a public comment period for the CuMo Project. Community members and key stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments regarding the analysis contained in the Supplemental Redline Environmental Assessment (SREA) as well as advancing exploration activities. The 2018 SREA addresses the 2016 Court Order which remanded the matter for further studies of the effects of the 2014 and 2016 Pioneer Fires.
Your comments matter!
USFS is receiving anti-development comments from special interest groups. Community members who believe that safe, domestic strategic mineral exploration and development is critical to the U.S. economy and national security should consider submitting comments urging USFS to complete the SREA and allow the CuMo Project exploration to advance.
ICMC has provided a summary of highlights from the SREA and guidelines for submitting comments on the CuMo Project. Comments can be submitted at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=52875.
Below are the highlights of the SREA and actions taken to address the 2016 Court Order:
- An independent contractor, under the management and direction of USFS, inventoried Sacajawea’s bitterroot (LESA plants) in the CuMo Project area and within a 10-mile buffer area. The cost of the independent contractor’s activities for the study totaled nearly $1 million which is being paid for by Idaho CuMo Mining Corporation.
- Field investigations, which spanned 4 months, were conducted to support the baseline inventory of LESA and to study potential impacts of the 2014 and 2016 Pioneer Fire.
- The study showed that the LESA plants had been minimally impacted by the fires and numerous additional populations were documented outside the project area.
- Studies were conducted of all other natural resources and determined that they have been minimally impacted by the 2016 Pioneer Fire.
- Conditions regarding water quality, soils, geology, wildlife, aquatics, avian and terrestrial species have not changed since previous determinations detailed in the 2011 Environmental Assessment and subsequent 2015 Supplemental Environmental Assessment.
- As part of the updates in the 2018 SREA, the Responsible Official is requiring the continued use of the “Plan of Operations and BMP (Best Management Practices) Checklist Supporting Approval of Proposed Temporary Road and Drill Pad Construction, and Other Associated Operational Activities” developed as part of the implementation of the 2011 Decision Notice/Finding Of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI).
- In addition to updates to environmental data, USFS made minor editorial changes and reorganized paragraphs to provide better clarity for the reader.
- Through the entirety of the document, USFS replaced CuMoCo (American CuMo Mining Corporation) with ICMC (Idaho CuMo Mining Corporation), the Idaho-based company responsible for managing and conducting the CuMo Project exploration.
The entire SREA is available for review at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52875 .
Click here to submit a comment (hyper link to https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=52875)
Click here to review the SREA (hyper link to https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52875)
Thank you for your continued interest and engagement with the CuMo Project.
For more information email Nlaury@idahocumo.com
