Feds agree to lease Mount St. Helens land needed for mine

A controversial plan to mine for copper and other metals at the edge of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument took a step forward Wednesday.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it plans to issue a lease for 217 acres of land critical to the project, proposed by Spokane-based Idaho General Mines. But the agency promised not to allow any work there until further studies show it could be done without harming the surrounding environment.

At this point, "we're not analyzing whether a mine should be there or not," said BLM spokesman Michael Campbell. Although the land is part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the BLM has authority over mining on federal lands.

Environmentalists quickly condemned the agency's decision, saying a mine simply doesn't belong there. The site is near a national monument, as well as the source of the Green River, which eventually flows into the Cowlitz River. The land originally was bought by the environmental group Trust for Public Land, then turned over to the Forest Service.

"This is just a proposal that shouldn't even get off the ground," said Ryan Hunter, program director for the environmental group Gifford Pinchot Task Force. "The fact that the federal government is giving this the time of day ... is really frightening."

Mine-company officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

In a past interview, a company executive said it would use modern, environmentally friendly mining methods, and that the proposal was being unfairly prejudged by some. The company is looking at possibly mining for copper, gold, molybdenum and silver.

In addition to the 217 acres, the BLM postponed a decision about roughly 700 nearby acres, saying it would first look at the company's mining plans.

People now have 30 days to comment on the proposed lease. They can write to U.S. Department of the Interior; Bureau of Land Management; Oregon State Office; P.O. Box 2965; Portland, OR 97208. To view the lease proposal, go to www.blm.gov/or/index.php.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com