Mining claims in Washington
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The hardrock mining industry owns gold, silver, and other precious metals and minerals beneath an estimated 50,632 acres of U.S. public land in Washington, 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 Washington |
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• Total number of claim-holders: 639 • Acres of public land claimed by the mining industry, estimated: 50,632 (87% of Seattle (55955 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 • Percentage of claims held by foreign companies: 23% • 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 Washington 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 | Teck Cominco | World HQ in Canada | 379 | 7,830 | 1896 to 2000 |
| 2 | Kinross | World HQ in Canada | 220 | 3,292 | 1969 to 1999 |
| 3 | Mt St Helens Mining | Kelso, WA | 114 | 2,355 | 1900 to 1995 |
| 4 | Metaline Contact Mns | Murray, ID | 113 | 2,335 | 1924 to 1973 |
| 5 | Wind River Mining Co | Portland, OR | 65 | 1,343 | 1993 |
| 6 | Maria T Thomas | Concrete, WA | 62 | 1,281 | 1992 to 1999 |
| 7 | Richard E Delano | Calabasas, CA | 58 | 1,198 | 1993 |
| 8 | Evy Delano | unknown | 58 | 1,198 | 1993 |
| 9 | Graymont Western US Inc | Salt Lake City, UT | 44 | 908 | 1988 to 1991 |
| 10 | Lawmont Mining Co | Federal Way, WA | 34 | 702 | 1967 to 1968 |
| See all claim holders in Washington | |||||
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 Washington Ranked by Acres Claimed
| County | Number of Claims | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pend Oreille County | 564 | 11,689 | details | map |
| 2 | Skamania County | 336 | 7,671 | details | map |
| 3 | Okanogan County | 372 | 6,621 | details | map |
| 4 | Kittitas County | 213 | 5,177 | details | map |
| 5 | Ferry County | 213 | 4,386 | details | map |
| 6 | Chelan County | 140 | 3,860 | details | map |
| 7 | Skagit County | 100 | 2,183 | details | map |
| 8 | Whatcom County | 91 | 2,157 | details | map |
| 9 | Stevens County | 98 | 2,068 | details | map |
| 10 | Snohomish County | 65 | 1,840 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Washington
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle River Mill Site | Ferry County, WA | Closed | Gold | Kinross Gold Corporation |
| K-2 Mine Site | Ferry County, WA | Closed | Gold | Kinross Gold Corporation |
| Midnite Mine | Stevens County, WA | Closed | Uranium | Newmont Mining Corp |
| Pend Oreille Mine | Pend Oreille County, WA | Closed | Lead and/or Zinc Ore | Teck Cominco Limited |
| Crown Jewel / Buckhorn | Okanogan County, WA | Proposed | Gold | Crown Resources |
Source: EWG analysis.