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Commissioners approve two zoning map amendments to allow underground mining overlays
Summary
Sweetwater County commissioners voted unanimously to add a Mineral Development 2 overlay to about 320 acres and to a separate ~160-acre parcel, allowing underground mining rights without surface disturbance; the Bureau of Reclamation owns the larger parcel and Tyler Schultz/CCGM Wyoming LLC is the applicant for both requests.
County planner Cassidy Brown told the commissioners the two zone-up requests would add an MD-2 (mineral development overlay) to parcels now zoned agricultural and MD-1 in order to permit underground mining while leaving surface uses unchanged. Brown said the roughly 320-acre parcel is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the applicant for the request is Tyler Schultz of CCGM Wyoming LLC.
Brown summarized staff review criteria and agency comments. She said the proposed overlays are consistent with the Sweetwater County zoning resolution and comprehensive plan, and that adjacent properties are zoned for mineral development. Agency comments included no objection from the Wyoming Department of Transportation (YDOT) for the first parcel; for the second, YDOT asked that access, utilities and subsidence information be provided at the permitting stage. An Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) reviewer flagged no historic mine concerns and Rocky Mountain Power had no comments. Lumen flagged copper running near State Highway 372 to be considered during future excavation.
Brown noted the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended both map amendments by 3-0 votes at its July 15 meeting. The board opened and closed both public hearings with no speakers and then voted to adopt Resolution 26-07-Z-001 (the ~320-acre site) and Resolution 26-07-Z-002 (the ~160-acre site) unanimously.
The approvals add MD-2 overlays to the specified parcels and do not authorize any surface disturbance; Brown emphasized that specific project-level permitting, access and subsidence work would be reviewed later when an actual development is proposed. Tyler Schultz was listed in the record as the applicant for both amendments.
Next steps: zoning map updates will be recorded and project-specific permits and technical data (access, utilities, subsidence analyses) will be required during future development and permitting.
