Mining claims in Montana
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The hardrock mining industry owns gold, silver, and other precious metals and minerals beneath an estimated 245,869 acres of U.S. public land in Montana, 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 Montana |
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• Total number of claim-holders: 1,630 • Acres of public land claimed by the mining industry, estimated: 245,869 (42 times Helena (5760 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 • Percentage of claims held by foreign companies: 25% • 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 Montana 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 | Beartooth Platinum Corp. | World HQ in Canada | 1,055 | 21,186 | 1999 to 2001 |
| 2 | MMC Norilsk Nickel of Russia | World HQ in Russia | 849 | 15,567 | 1968 to 1991 |
| 3 | Sterling Mining Company | Coeur d'Alene, ID | 444 | 7,744 | 1958 to 2003 |
| 4 | Graymont Western US Inc | Salt Lake City, UT | 383 | 7,474 | 1979 to 2003 |
| 5 | ASARCO, a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico | World HQ in Mexico | 346 | 7,117 | 1890 to 1998 |
| 6 | Larry Pilster | Alzada, MT | 68 | 6,600 | 1965 to 2003 |
| 7 | Apollo Gold Inc | Denver, CO | 316 | 6,478 | 1939 to 1997 |
| 8 | Edward Pilster | Alzada, MT | 65 | 6,460 | 1965 to 2003 |
| 9 | Madge Pilster | Alzada, MT | 60 | 6,360 | 1965 to 2003 |
| 10 | Helen Pilster | Alzada, MT | 59 | 6,300 | 1965 to 2003 |
| See all claim holders in Montana | |||||
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 Montana Ranked by Acres Claimed
| County | Number of Claims | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweet Grass County | 1,561 | 30,419 | details | map |
| 2 | Jefferson County | 1,354 | 28,920 | details | map |
| 3 | Beaverhead County | 598 | 23,902 | details | map |
| 4 | Madison County | 1,061 | 21,402 | details | map |
| 5 | Broadwater County | 876 | 19,817 | details | map |
| 6 | Stillwater County | 759 | 16,055 | details | map |
| 7 | Carter County | 272 | 15,320 | details | map |
| 8 | Lincoln County | 919 | 13,942 | details | map |
| 9 | Granite County | 443 | 13,484 | details | map |
| 10 | Lewis and Clark County | 422 | 10,866 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Montana
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana Tunnels Mine | Jefferson County, MT | Open | Gold | Apollo Gold Corporation |
| Beal Mountain Mine | Silver Bow County, MT | Closed | Gold | Pegasus Gold Corp |
| Diamond Hill Mining, Inc. | Broadwater County, MT | Suspended | Gold | Apollo Gold Corporation |
| Troy Mine | Lincoln County, MT | Closed | Copper Ore | ASARCO |
| East Boulder Mine | Stillwater County, MT | Open | Platinum group | MMC Norilsk Nickel of Russia |
| Zortman Landusky Mine | Phillips County, MT | Closed | Gold | Pegasus Gold Corp |
| Basin Creek Mine | Jefferson County, MT | Closed | Gold | Pegasus Gold Corp |
| Kendall Mine | Fergus County, MT | Closed | Gold and Silver | Canyon Resources Corporation |
| Mineral Hill | Park County, MT | Closed | Gold | TVX Gold Inc. |
| Stillwater Mine | Stillwater County, MT | Open | Platinum group | Stillwater Mining Company |
| See more mines in Montana | ||||
Source: EWG analysis.