Mining claims in Colorado
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The hardrock mining industry owns gold, silver, and other precious metals and minerals beneath an estimated 123,457 acres of U.S. public land in Colorado, resources worth millions of dollars a year, acquired for as little as $0.84 per acre and held in perpetuity for a yearly rental fee as low as $0.62 an acre. Under a 132-year-old law originally intended to spur development of the West, an industry dominated by a handful of multinational corporations pays no federal royalties, and leaves behind a landscape of dramatically diminished value, scarred with tunnels, pits, and toxic waste piles.
| Quick facts about mining claims in Colorado |
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• Total number of claim-holders: 1,478 • Acres of public land claimed by the mining industry, estimated: 123,457 (50% of Rocky Mountain National Park) • Dollars paid for each acre: as little as $0.84, and as little as $0.62 yearly rental fee • Reimbursement to the federal government for gold, silver and other precious metals taken from public land: $0 • Percentage of claims held by foreign companies: 12% • Land area ever claimed by the mining industry nationally, estimated: 79 million acres (the size of New Mexico) |
EWG analysis of data compiled by the Bureau of Land Management. |
Top Mining Claim Owners in Colorado Ranked by Acres Claimed
Companies have been consolidated to account for subsidiaries. View this table without consolidation.
| Company/Individual | Headquarters | Number of Claims | Acreage Claimed | Date(s) Filed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phelps Dodge Mining Co | Phoenix, AZ | 556 | 7,662 | 1944 to 1998 |
| 2 | Newmont Mining Corp | Denver, CO | 361 | 7,435 | 1895 to 1978 |
| 3 | Teck Cominco | World HQ in Canada | 217 | 4,364 | 1925 to 1998 |
| 4 | Kinross | World HQ in Canada | 180 | 3,697 | 1977 to 1979 |
| 5 | Barrick Gold Corporation | World HQ in Canada | 133 | 2,748 | 1952 to 1995 |
| 6 | Robert L Crouch | Georgetown, TX | 16 | 2,560 | 2001 |
| 7 | Joan T Crouch | Georgetown, TX | 16 | 2,560 | 2001 |
| 8 | Ronald E Mcalister | Kerns, UT | 16 | 2,560 | 2001 |
| 9 | Erlene F Mcalister | Kerns, TX | 16 | 2,560 | 2001 |
| 10 | Vivian B Mcalister | Phoenix, AZ | 16 | 2,560 | 2001 |
| See all claim holders in Colorado | |||||
Some of the claimants in this table may be in partnership with other individuals or companies with a claim to the same land.
Counties in Colorado Ranked by Acres Claimed
| County | Number of Claims | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunnison County | 1,216 | 22,524 | details | map |
| 2 | Park County | 360 | 9,406 | details | map |
| 3 | Ouray County | 413 | 8,512 | details | map |
| 4 | Montrose County | 128 | 6,757 | details | map |
| 5 | San Miguel County | 292 | 6,533 | details | map |
| 6 | Moffat County | 198 | 6,533 | details | map |
| 7 | Boulder County | 229 | 5,901 | details | map |
| 8 | Eagle County | 153 | 5,709 | details | map |
| 9 | La Plata County | 201 | 4,957 | details | map |
| 10 | Chaffee County | 184 | 4,478 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Colorado
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cripple Creek & Victor Mine | Teller County, CO | Open | Gold | Anglo American |
| Summitville | Rio Grande County, CO | Closed | Gold | Galactic Resources |
| Henderson | Clear Creek County, CO | Open | Molybdenum | Phelps Dodge |
Source: EWG analysis.