Federal officials will hold a joint public meeting about a proposed mineral withdrawal surrounding the Pactola Reservoir on Wednesday.
If approved, mining and exploration could cease in a 20,000-acre area for two decades.
US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officials will host an open house style meeting Wednesday at the Ramkota Hotel in Rapid City.
The meeting will kick off public testimony for the mineral withdrawal proposal.
If the withdrawal is approved, mineral and geothermal leasing could cease in the region for 20 years.
The mineral withdrawal area is in the upper Rapid Creek watershed around Pactola Reservoir and Silver City. The reservoir provides municipal water for Rapid City and Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Lilias Jarding is with Black Hills Clean Water Alliance. She called the meeting important and is supportive of the proposal and wants to see it include the full Rapid Creek watershed and Black Hills.
“If we don’t support this proposal and ask to have it expanded, we will immediately be back in the position of having to oppose proposals," Jarding said. "So, there’s really not a whole lot of difference in terms of the outcome. It’s just more pleasant to say, ‘Yes, I’m for something.’ We really strongly encourage people to make their voices heard on that point.”
US House Republicans recently passed House Resolution 1, which prevents the government from withdrawing federal lands under US mining law. Rep. Dusty Johnson voted in favor of the bill, which is unlikely to pass the Senate.
A mineral withdrawal will affect the Jenny Gulch Exploration Drilling Project proposed by Minnestoa-based F3 Gold, which is currently on hold. F3 Gold has other mineral exploration proposals in the Black Hills, including one near Custer.
Comments for the proposed mineral withdrawal are due by June 20.
