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USDA Forest Service News Release Ray Massey W 907.586.7876 rmassey@xxxxxxxxx C 907.209.2094
August 16, 2010 Greens Creek and Niblack mine drilling to go forward in Roadless JUNEAU, Alaska– U.S. Forest Service Alaska Regional Forester Beth Pendleton said mining geotechnical and exploration drilling projects in inventoried roadless areas on Admiralty Island and Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska have
been approved to go forward. Both projects either have had NEPA analysis completed or are close to completion of the required analysis. “Today, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell approved geotechnical and exploration drilling in inventoried roadless areas for the Greens Creek Mine and the Niblack Mine exploration projects,” said Pendleton. “This approval will allow
Greens Creek to continue the expansion of its tailings site and Niblack to continue its exploration.” “In each case, helicopters will transport the drilling rigs, no roads will be constructed or reconstructed and site reclamation will be completed after drilling operations are done. Both projects will create new mining jobs in Southeast
Alaska,” added Pendleton. "These two projects will help employ Alaskans on important projects while providing crucial environmental safeguards," said Harris Sherman, Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment at the US Department of Agriculture.
"Both the Niblack and Green Creek projects will have minimal footprints -- less than an acre apiece -- with the potential for substantial boosts to local economies."
The Greens Creek geotechnical drilling area is 20 miles southwest of Juneau within the Admiralty Island National Monument and the Greens Creek Inventoried Roadless Area. The drilling will take place in no more than three locations
and the total area affected by the drill pads is expected to be less than an acre.
The Niblack exploration will take place approximately 30 miles southwest of Ketchikan on southeastern Prince of Wales Island within the Eudora Inventoried Roadless Area. The proposed eight drilling sites will affect less than an
acre in the over 200,000-acre IRA. Workers will access the sites on foot. -30- www.fs.usda.gov/r10 Twitter @AKFOREST SERVICE USFS Region 10
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