There's an exploratory drilling project to look for gold on Forest Service land at Spring Peak. This is a beautiful, remote corner of the Bodie Hills with springs at its base and a lovely meadow to the west of it. It is Bi-state Sage Grouse habitat with mating sites nearby. Pronghorn, mule deer, wild horses, coyotes and other wildlife pass through the project area to use the springs and a small stream in the meadow. Headwater Gold's plan of operations was approved for 23 drill locations with temporary roads to them. This project was approved as a categorical exclusion that allows short-term mineral exploration of one year or less without requiring an environmental report that reviews the environmental impacts of the project and possible alternatives. 2023 is the fourth year of on-site, project activities since the start of the project. The Forest Service counts one year as 365 days, not as one calendar year. Headwater Gold will likely be back next summer to continue. There are still ten drill sites to go. It doesn't seem like a short-term project, does it?

Click here for a tour of Spring Peak gold exploration project site.