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Crescent City council backs renewed letter to protect North Fork of the Smith River
Summary
After a lengthy presentation and Q&A with a Smith River Alliance representative, the council unanimously authorized the mayor to sign a letter supporting legislation to permanently withdraw 58,000 acres (20‑year withdrawal in place) of the North Fork from new mining claims; discussion covered fire suppression, cleanup liabilities, and the status of Cleopatra unvalidated claims.
The Crescent City Council on Aug. 18 voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to sign a renewed letter of support urging federal lawmakers to make permanent the current mineral withdrawal that protects the North Fork of the Smith River.
Grant (Smith River Alliance) gave a detailed presentation on environmental and public‑resource risks associated with potential hard‑rock and strip mining, citing the Glenbrook Mine example and national studies about contamination from some hard‑rock mines. He noted that a 2017 20‑year mineral withdrawal remains in effect covering roughly 58,000 acres in the North Fork area and described approximately 2,800 acres of ‘‘unvalidated’’ Cleopatra claims that sit within that withdrawal area. Grant said the city’s renewed support would help urge congressional sponsors to pursue legislation making the withdrawal permanent.
Council members asked how the mineral withdrawal would affect wildfire suppression and access. Grant, who chairs the Smith River Collaborative, said wildfire‑response authorities, access for fire operations and federal/state wildfire projects would be unaffected by the withdrawal; the withdrawal prevents new mining claims but does not erase existing unvalidated claims, which must still go through a validation process. Members also raised the fiscal risk of cleanup costs if mining activity led to contamination; Grant and other speakers referenced the Superfund program and historical cleanup liabilities in other regions.
Councilmember discussion noted the overlap of the withdrawal with existing wilderness and National Recreation Area designations and stressed the need to monitor validation attempts by mining interests. After discussion, Councilmember (unnamed) moved for the mayor to sign the support letter for legislation to protect the North Fork; a second followed and the motion carried on a unanimous roll call.
The council’s action updates earlier letters of support (the city and the county provided similar support in prior sessions) and signals municipal backing for ongoing congressional reintroductions of legislation to make the withdrawal permanent. Staff noted the letter is a renewal for a new Congress and will be transmitted to relevant members of Congress.
