Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Minerals Management Program
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Minerals Management Program.
The 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) lands encompassed many preexisting mineral properties. The Alaska Region has the majority of federal mining claims within the National Park System. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (NP/P) has approximately sixty percent of the active federal mining claims within the Region (significantly more than all other Alaska units combined, and more than twice as many as the second highest unit). At the time of the land withdrawal, there were approximately 2500 active mining claims. It has been estimated that in the past there were more than 4500 mining claims located within the lands currently encompassed by the park. Five areas were extensively explored and mined in the past. In light of these figures, the potential for the existence of significant hazards associated with abandoned mine lands within Wrangell-St. Elias NP/P becomes obvious. The Minerals Management Program deals with permitting mining plans of operations on active mining claims and evaluating and re-mediating the hazards of abandoned mines and other resource extraction sites.
- Type
- Program
- Authors
- Park Chief of Natural Resources
- Units
- CAKN , EMB , WRST
- Keywords
- abandoned mine lands, Bremner, Chisana, claims, Contaminants, Copper, geochemical investigations, Gold, Gold Hill, Hazardous Materials, Hazards, Kennecott, Kennicott, Mining, mining plans of operation, Oil and Gas, Reclamation, Safety, Sudden Stream
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Human Use | Consumptive Use | Consumptive Use