New Jersey Mining looks to continue exploration near Murray
Courtesy photo The proposed work will happen in and around the area that the red box encompass. Much of the work will be getting the roads ready for regular use.
By JOSH MCDONALD
Staff Reporter
MURRAY — Is there still gold in them hills? The New Jersey Mining Company sure hopes so.
NJMC recently submitted a plan of operations to the Idaho Panhandle National Forests proposing the utilization of (currently) closed roads and trails in order to access the company’s privately held mining claims over a five-year period.
The roads, administered by IPNF, would be used to access Crown Point — which is just east of King’s Pass near Murray.
Should it receive its permit, NJMC would begin work on the road so that it can access various points to complete further exploratory drilling in the area.
At this time, both the company and IPNF are seeking community input on opening the closed road on public lands that accesses the property owned by NJMC.
“The planned drilling is entirely on private land,” said Grant Brackebusch, NJMC vice president and chief mining engineer. “There is a closed road on public land that is brushed in and we need to cut the brush and minimally upgrade the road so that we can access the lower part of the outcrop for a drill pad.”
The project area is accessed from County Road 605, Forest Roads 6003 and 605UB, and Trail 151.
Forest Roads 6003 and 605UB are designated for administrative use only, and have gates in place to control access. Trail 151 is a seasonally open motorized trail for vehicles no greater than 50 inches in width.
The roads and trails will need to be repaired to facilitate use for everything from ATV and UTV transports, all the way up to heavy duty construction vehicles and the underground core drill itself.
The public comment period began on April 5 (when the legal notice of the project was published in the Coeur d’Alene Press) and will end on May 6.
With some work already started, Brackebusch would like to get up in the area to make sure that it is thoroughly scouted.
“We’ve drilled four holes so far and we would like to drill a couple more so that we can evaluate the property more thoroughly,” Brackebush said. “It’s strictly an exploration project right now.”
If you have questions about the Crown Point Access Project, contact Minerals Administrator Courtney Priddy at 208-765-7207 or submit a comment at comments-northern-idpanhandle-coeurdalene@fs.fed.us.