In the Bodie Hills...

Bodie Hills skyline
 

Spring Peak -- Drilling ended last November 2024 and 12 out of 18 of the drill sites were reclaimed. Five are still to be drilled and will be rolled into the Burnt Rock project. The Spring Peak project was approved under a categorical exclusion and should only have gone on for one year, not five. However, the Forest Service interpreted the one year clause as 365 non-contiguous days, not one calendar year until we brought it to their attention last year. The recently reclaimed sites are already covered in invasive weeds (cheatgrass and Russian thistle) and the seed mix they used introduced Rocky Mountain Bee Plant to the area. It has pretty purple flowers, but doesn't belong there. The proponent is Headwater Gold/CP Resources based in Canada.

Sawtooth Ridge -- Three drill sites were drilled in 2023. These and the remaining 13 drill sites will be folded into the Polaris project. Just with the three drill sites, we estimate that almost 230 healthy, mature pinyon trees were destroyed and lay crushed under the drill pads. The pads are on a steep slope so they cut into the hillside and have left tall head cuts. The proponent only filled in the sump pits (pits to collect the waste water), we assume because they plan to drill some more. The proponent is Klondex/Hecla Nevada.

Bald Peak -- Drilling has been approved for 11 sites, but the project hasn't started. It was approved for helicopter access only. The project is on a plateau between Rough Creek and Bodie Creek on the Nevada side of the Dry Lakes Plateau in key sage grouse habitat and a pronghorn migration corridor. The proponent, Paramount Gold Nevada, has filed more claims in the same area.

Lodestar -- The scoping document was released on June 16 of this year for drilling at 42 locations to the east of the Aurora Crater. A decision memo was released on September 30 approving the project with hardly any changes to it. Road grading started in October and two drilling teams are working at the sinter site. Because it was approved as a categorical exclusion, there is no means to object to the decision. This project will put in temporary roads and remove hundreds of healthy, pinyon trees; seedlings, saplings, young trees, and mature, prolific cone producing trees. We've observed pinyon jays in the area, some sage grouse scat nearby but outside of the project area, and mule deer scat and mule deer tracks within the project boundary. This is the second project of Headwater Gold/CP Resources in the area.

Polaris -- The environmental assessment (EA) document was released on July 18 along with a finding of no significant impact. There wasn't a comment period for the EA. We submitted an objection listing mitigations that could be done to lessen the impacts. The objection period ends January 30, 2026. You can track this project on the FAST-41 Transparency website here or on the Forest Service website here. This project is huge and will go on for ten years. Up to 250 drill sites have been proposed, yet only 75 sites have been identified. They will be able to drill at 175 other locations anywhere within their claim boundary. Seven of the drill sites are on top of East Brawley Peak and the roads to get to these sites go through a sage grouse mating and nesting site. The road on top of the peak will go through a sub-alpine ecosystem and a limber pine forest. The views from the top of the Brawley Peaks are superb. This is the second project in the area of Klondex/Hecla Nevada.

Burnt Rock -- The proponent, Headwater Gold, has submitted a draft plan of operations dated April 2024 to the Forest Service with a final plan expected by 11/14/25 which will kick off the NEPA process. The Forest Service then plans to issue a notice to prepare an environmental assessment on 11/21/25 to be completed by 3/16/26. You can track it on the FAST-41 Transparency website here. It is an even bigger project than the Polaris project and spans the area from the foot of East Brawley Peak to the west slope of Mt. Hicks. The proponent wants to drill at up to 600 locations and has indicated where the first set of 266 drill sites will be. The rest can be anywhere within their claim boundaries. It also will be a ten year operation as well and will overlap with the Polaris project. This is in bi-state sage grouse territory and we've observed them there. This is Headwater Gold/CP Resources' third project in the area.

There is a 680-acre parcel of private property in the Spring Peak-E. Brawley Peak area and the Burnt Rock proponent has filed a lot of claims on it. They have already drilled at five locations on the property, so it is possible they will continue drilling there. Because it is on private property, there is no public engagement process as there is on federal land. We don't know what is being planned. The property has two springs, a stream, a large meadow, bi-state sage grouse, and Bodie Hills draba. The springs are a source of water for wildlife.

To better understand where these projects are, what the impacts to the Bodie Hills are watch the ROLG presentation followed by a presentation by Earthworks and Great Basin Resource Watch on gold and gold mining past and present. Click here and enter passcode *mWV3xPj.

At Conglomerate Mesa...

Conglomerate Mesa skyline

We are waiting for the final decision on Phase II of the Mojave Precious Metals gold exploration project where K2Gold wants to drill at 30 locations in a roadless area and put in roads to each of the drill sites. Hundreds of Joshua trees and sensitive plants would need to be removed, animals that live in the ground would be impacted, weeds would be brought in, and the road scars would be visible for decades.  Where the water would come from for this project is unknown. Looking at K2Gold's website, it is clear they have plans to continue exploration of the area.