Amador County – Sutter Gold Mining, Inc. (SGM) recently received a key approval required in the process towards converting its Sutter Creek tourist facility into a working gold mine known as the Lincoln Project.
The company announced Thursday it has received regulatory approval of the revised Wetlands Delineation which, according to a release, “identified 1.02 acres of seasonal wetlands and other waters within the ‘Area of Potential Effect’ (approximately 95 acres) where surface disturbance associated with the Lincoln Project may occur.” The approval comes in the form of a Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination (JD) from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
In total, SGM “estimates this project will impact only 0.75 acres of wetlands and other waters in the vicinity.” This a a significant reduciton from previous development concepts that would have impacted 0.99 and 1.97 acres. SGM said this signifies its efforts to “continuously improve the Lincoln Project design, reducing the environmental footprint as Sutter advances the design to construction and production.”
SGM also recently received the results of a contracted study by Berryman Ecological that concludes the Lincoln Project will not impact any locally identified species on the Endangered Species Act. Another assessment conducted by Analytical Environmental Sciences concluded no historic properties in the area will be impacted in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.
The company estimates the permitting process will be completed no later than the beginning of next year.
Among other activities, SGM opened an office in May in downtown Sutter Creek next to the Sutter Creek Palace to provide a working area for its expanding mine staff.
SGM controls over three miles of Mother Lode property, 90 percent of which has yet to be explored. The most recent resource estimate for the Sutter Gold Project indicates that a collective 700,000 ounces of gold could possibly be extracted from this area. Most of the potential gold extraction exists along the Melones Fault in the eastern portion of SGM’s property and mineral holdings.
SGM said in a previous report it is “utilizing engineering consultants to supplement its experienced management and staff to design the processing facilities, tailings handling and backfilling to create a state-of-the-art, environmentally sound mining project.”
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
