Buckhorn Mine Expansion Withdrawn

Proposed Buckhorn Mine expansion. Photo courtesy of Okanogan Highlands Alliance.

Echo Bay/Kinross mining company  announced they are withdrawing a 2010 proposal to pursue exploratory drilling over more than 9,000 acres of public land near Tonasket and Chesaw in Okanagan County. The company asked to build up to 72 miles of new roads and 675 new drill pad sites, and drill 965 exploration holes on state, federal and private land over five years in undisclosed locations under a “block permitting” scenario. In January 2011, Washington Wild led efforts by 14 conservation and recreation groups who wrote comments raising concerns about the impacts of exploratory drilling to inventoried roadless areas and wildlife habitat without identifying specific locations for drilling.