US Copper, a publicly traded Canadian company, has applied to the Plumas County Planning Department for vested rights for the Engels and Superior mining claims in the North Arm of Indian Valley. Dan Kearns, chair of the Feather River Watershed Alliance, reports that vested rights allow the applicant to bypass county permits to mine, build roads, level pads and divert water, as well as circumvent the California Environmental Quality Act in the planning phase, thereby avoiding environmental impact studies and regulations that protect the public around the project, downstream and downwind.
In response to US Copper’s request, Plumas County’s staff wrote a report recommending the planning department approve US Copper’s request. To oppose the finding confirming vested rights and inform the public about what is at stake, a grassroots group called the Feather River Watershed Alliance was formed.
“We are not against mining,” said Kearns. “We are for preventing irrevocable damage to our water, air, land and quality of life.”
The FRWA will host two public presentations in March:
Thursday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Taylorsville Historic Hall. Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87297571101?pwd=3uW4aKwJCXIBl48EsuHgFOYGOihhj5.1.
Friday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Westwood Community Center. Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85047882214?pwd=A6ppygIM1WfKM02UzufoLyccQNWAFI.1.
Members of FRWA have been researching the case, raising funds for and utilizing legal support and raising awareness regarding the issue to empower people to effectively get involved. The US Copper claims are located on Lights Creek, part of the Feather River Watershed. This watershed feeds the Oroville Reservoir, which supplies water via the California Aqueduct to 27 million people and over 700,000 acres of vital agricultural land, including in parts of the Bay Area and Southern California.
Kearns presented in Taylorsville on behalf of the FRWA in February to explain more details about vested rights, share the group’s findings and inform the public what people can do to get involved. He said the most important action is to submit public comments to the vested rights hearing before the May 8 decision through Tracey Ferguson at [email protected].
For more information, visit featherriverwatershedalliance.org/.
Information provided by Feather River Watershed Alliance
