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Grant County adopts Pinos Altos proclamation after heated debate over mining language
Summary
After dozens of residents urged stronger language to block large-scale mining near Pinos Altos, the Grant County Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation recognizing Pinos Altos and expressing concern about recent mining claims; one commissioner opposed the final wording citing factual limits and property rights.
The Grant County Board of Commissioners on June 11 adopted a proclamation honoring the Pinos Altos community and its surrounding lands and said it was responding to constituent concern about recent mining claims in the Hila National Forest.
Dozens of local residents and conservation groups addressed the board during public comment, urging the commission to keep the original language that explicitly calls out risks from new, large-scale mining exploration. Mary Hotit, a Pinos Altos resident, told commissioners: "When Ivanho Mines put up notices on various trees around people's property ... there was a great deal of upset and outrage," and said the proclamation is the first step toward addressing water, forestry and road-access worries. Allison Civic, director of the Hila Resources Information Project, said nearly "50% of the active mining claims in the state have been staked in the past 5 years," and reported an online petition of about 3,500 mostly local signatures opposing large-scale mining claims in the area.
Conservation and stewardship groups emphasized ecological and cultural stakes. Donna Stevens, president of the Hila Native Plant Society, said the society supports the original draft because it would recognize threats to "local water tables and rare plants" and noted petition support. Melissa Amarillo, a Feelely neighborhood resident, described the area as a priority amphibian and reptile conservation area threatened by recent staking activity she attributed to Rio Tinto.
The board debated the proclamations wording. Commissioner Shelley voiced a factual and jurisdictional objection, arguing the commission should not assert as fact that mining "will lower the water table" without a specific project and said the county lacks direct control over U.S. Forest Service operations: "For that reason I don't support this proclamation as it's written." Commissioner Stevens and others said the measure was intended as a public statement responsive to residentsconcerns, not an enforceable land-withdrawal, and framed it as a way for the county to "listen" and signal priorities to federal partners.
After discussion, the board approved the proclamation by voice vote; at least one commissioner recorded a dissent. The proclamation will be placed in the county record; commissioners discussed follow-up steps including maps or outreach to clarify the geographic scope and possible next procedural actions to pursue with federal or legislative partners.
Commissioners and several public commenters repeatedly stressed that the proclamation is a statement of values and concern rather than a county-enforceable prohibition on mining. Several speakers asked the commission to attach a map of the area referenced in the proclamation and to consult National Register documentation to identify historic properties for targeted protection. "Please provide a map with the proclamation showing the areas bounded by the description," Ronnie Sue Helner said, referencing the National Register of Historic Places listing for the Pinos Altos historic district.
The board did not adopt any regulatory moratorium or an ordinance at the meeting; commissioners discussed next steps that could include additional statements to congressional delegations or collaboration with federal agencies. The commission also heard a range of other county business after the proclamation vote.
