Mining company pulls back on Ester Dome mining exploration plan

Felix Gold, the company promoting gold exploration at Ester Dome and other areas, says it is withdrawing the portion of its proposal for leasing mental health trust lands.

“We do still have the options on the remaining claims on AK State land around Ester Dome, but we are not executing any physical work on the ground at this time,” Felix Gold Vice President Dave Larimer wrote to the Ester Community Association.

Background on the project can be found here.

It’s not certain if the trust land office asked the company to withdraw and avoid what was sure to become a major fight with the neighborhood, but that is possible.

Perhaps the trust land office should realize that keeping neighborhoods in the dark and providing little public notice is a bad way to operate and not in the interest of the trust beneficiaries

The idea that the best way to limit opposition to any development plan is to avoid advance publicity is flawed.

All resource development projects face opposition and not necessarily on the merits, according to John Sturgeon, one of the trustees. It would be equally valid to claim that all resource development projects are supported by the trustees and not necessarily on the merits.

The state Department of Natural Resources should also be more forthcoming with public information when mining exploration projects are planned near residential neighborhoods, as the potential for conflicts increases with the growth of the community.

The memo from Felix Gold is below.

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