GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — A Washington developer’s plan to mine for gold on one of Oregon’s most pristine salmon rivers has hit a roadblock.
A state environmental official says it could prove difficult for him to get a clean water permit if he wants to use a suction dredge to mine the Chetco river inside the Kalmiopsis Wilderness on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
The problem is an Oregon law prohibiting gold mining dredges from causing any significant increase in muddiness in rivers within certain federal wilderness areas, including the Kalmiopsis.
Developer Dave Rutan refused comment when contacted by The Associated Press.
The U.S. Forest Service has suspended an environmental review of Rutan’s gold mining plan until he resolves the issue with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
