Mining claims in Idaho
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The hardrock mining industry owns gold, silver, and other precious metals and minerals beneath an estimated 260,185 acres of U.S. public land in Idaho, 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 Idaho |
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• Total number of claim-holders: 2,463 • Acres of public land claimed by the mining industry, estimated: 260,185 (126 times Sun Valley (2054 acres)) • 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 • Companies owning minerals on at least 10,000 public acres: 2 • 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 Idaho 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 | 919 | 17,308 | 1939 to 2000 |
| 2 | F S Mooney | unknown | 794 | 16,448 | 1939 to 1990 |
| 3 | Kinross | World HQ in Canada | 257 | 5,698 | 1925 to 1998 |
| 4 | Owyhee Exploration LLC | New York, NY | 223 | 4,607 | 2001 |
| 5 | American Independent | Vale, OR | 195 | 4,013 | 1958 to 2002 |
| 6 | James E Wilson | Dubois, ID | 24 | 3,840 | 1997 |
| 7 | Karen Wilson | unknown | 24 | 3,840 | 1997 |
| 8 | Kobie Wilson | unknown | 24 | 3,840 | 1997 |
| 9 | Mary Wilson | unknown | 24 | 3,840 | 1997 |
| 10 | Paula Wilson | unknown | 24 | 3,840 | 1997 |
| See all claim holders in Idaho | |||||
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 Idaho Ranked by Acres Claimed
| County | Number of Claims | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho County | 1,526 | 41,502 | details | map |
| 2 | Custer County | 1,771 | 37,660 | details | map |
| 3 | Shoshone County | 1,292 | 29,773 | details | map |
| 4 | Lemhi County | 1,309 | 29,181 | details | map |
| 5 | Owyhee County | 1,046 | 26,109 | details | map |
| 6 | Boise County | 582 | 20,265 | details | map |
| 7 | Valley County | 613 | 12,943 | details | map |
| 8 | Clark County | 322 | 10,081 | details | map |
| 9 | Elmore County | 277 | 8,660 | details | map |
| 10 | Washington County | 287 | 5,929 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Idaho
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stibnite Mine | Valley County, ID | Closed | Gold | Dakota Mining Company |
| Black Pine | Cassia County, ID | Closed | Gold | Pegasus Gold Corp |
| Grouse Creek Mine | Custer County, ID | Closed | Gold | Hecla Mining Company |
| Idaho Cobalt Project | Ravalli County, ID | Proposed | Cobalt, Copper & G | Formation Capital |
| Thompson Creek Molybdenum Mine | Custer County, ID | Open | Molybdenum | Thompson Creek Mining Company |
| Beartrack Mine | Lemhi County, ID | Closed | Gold | Meridian Gold Inc. |
| Golden Hand Mine | Custer County, ID | Proposed | Gold | American Independence Mines |
| Lucky Friday Silver Mine | Shoshone County, ID | Open | Silver ores | Hecla Mining Company |
| Blackbird | Lemhi County, ID | Closed | Cobalt | Noranda |
| Bunker Hill Mine | Shoshone County, ID | Closed | Polymetallic | Hecla Mining Company |
| See more mines in Idaho | ||||
Source: EWG analysis.