Who says liberals are anti-progress?
Who says liberals are anti-mining?
You can mine all you want...
You just have to use a pick ax and can only feed your mule weed-free hay.
The liberal 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decided this week to allow mining at a national forest in Montana - But only if you use pick axes and only if your mules are fed weed-free hay.
Townhall reported:
Last week environmental groups hailed a decision from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a law prohibiting roads on nearly 50 million acres of national forest.
Lawyers for the Colorado and Wyoming Mining Associations contend that the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule violated the law. Previous conflicting federal court rulings have both upheld and overturned the road-building ban. Jane Danowitz, director of the Pew Environmental Group’s U.S. public lands program acknowledges that the roadless rule blocks “logging, drilling and industrial development.”
Expressing disappointment with the decision, Stuart Sanderson, President of the Colorado Mining Association said, “The decision does not reflect a practical understanding of the impact that the rule will have upon mining jobs or access to needed minerals here in Colorado and the U.S. It is important to develop high quality coal and other mineral reserves, both to ensure our nation’s energy security and reduce our dependence on minerals produced in other countries.”
How does this roadless decision impact mining and jobs? In Montana’s Finley Basin there are known tungsten deposits. An Australian company wanted to bring revenue and jobs to the state by developing the resource. While the property was successfully drilled and recognized by Union Carbide in the seventies, it is now about 200 yards inside a roadless study area.
The Forest Service was willing to offer a conditional drilling permit. Among the conditions were these requirements:
- The drill sites must be cleared using hand tools,
- The drilling equipment and fuel must be transported to the site by a team of pack mules,
- The mules must be fed certified weed-free hay, and
- Drill site and trail reclamation must be done using hand tools.
The company gave up.
Let's face it. Liberals hate this country and want you to live in mud huts.
