Exploratory drilling proposed in White Pine

Looking for copper and molybdenum

Tomichi Resources, LLC, a U.S. subsidiary of Burnstone Ventures of Vancouver, British Columbia, wants to drill nine exploratory holes for copper and molybdenum northeast of White Pine, Colo. near Tomichi Creek.

The company holds unpatented mining claims to the area under the 1872 Mining Act and submitted a Plan of Operations (PoO) to the United States Forest Service (USFS) to confirm mineralogy found in previous exploration. The County Planning Commission will make a visit to the site in mid-September.
Tomichi Resources plans to drill nine holes up to 2,800 feet deep and four inches in diameter to confirm the presence of copper and molybdenum. According to the USFS, all drill locations are located within the area’s existing road network and no new roads will need to be built.
“The disturbance is virtually non-existent because all of the work is going to occur on roads,” said USFS Gunnison district ranger John Murphy. “They are going to have to re-open one closed road which could result in the disturbance of seedlings and saplings on the road bed.  They also have a small storage area that could result in disturbance to some seedlings and saplings.  The total area affected is certainly less than one acre.”
No drilling will take place during winter and no snow removal will be required. A 2 7/8-inch diameter core will be removed from each drill hole for analysis, and all cuttings, water, and base core fluids will be captured and contained in poly or steel tanks. Water gathered from drill holes will be reused, and drill water will be obtained via non-mechanized siphon and flex poly tubing from Robbins Creek.
According to USFS project coordinator Jeff Birch, the project is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), but due to the scale of the project, the proposal is “categorically” excluded from more extensive NEPA procedures. According to Birch, categorical exclusion is allowed for authorizing “geophysical investigations which use existing roads that may require incidental repair to reach sites.”
In addition to public scoping, Birch said, the project must comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Historic Preservation Act. In accordance with the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will provide the USFS with a biological assessment. Of primary interest is the location of the drilling area within Canada lynx habitat, as referenced in the PoO submitted to the Forest Service in July.
“Gault Group, LLC [GGL] understands that the request for a PoO was driven, in part, by concern that the exploration project could potentially affect surface resources such as Canada lynx habitat, sensitive plant species like Moonwort (Botrychium lineare), and heritage resources,” said Stephen Glass, president of GGL, environmental consultant for Tomichi Resources.
Glass stated that GGL contracted with Dr. Arthur Phillips III, a botanical and environmental consultant based in Arizona, to conduct a survey of the project site for the plant Moonwort and also submitted information on the Canada lynx habitat.
The Forest Service is accepting comments on the PoO (available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/projects) until September 16, which can be directed to Tomichi Project, Forest Service 216 N. Colorado, Gunnison, CO 81230, or electronically to comments-rocky-mountain-gmug@fs.fed.us.
The proposal is also subject to approval by the Gunnison County Planning Commission, which will hold a public hearing on the matter on September 16 following a visit by the commission to the drilling site.
“Unless we see something unexpected at the site visit, my guess is we’ll give direction to staff following public hearing,” said Planning Commission Chairman Ramon Reed. “It could be approved on our end, assuming there are no problems, by early October at the earliest. But John Murphy told us at our meeting in August… it would be at least three months [before Forest Service approval] because it’s in Canada lynx habitat.”
If the FWS provides the USFS with its biological assessment quickly, however, Birch believes that the Forest Service could issue its decision in early October as well. However, the USFS does have 60 days to respond to the BA.
Tomichi Resources hopes to begin drilling this fall if approvals are received before snow begins to fall.