Outfitting industry keeping close eye on gold mining. Moz
Outfitting industry keeping close eye on gold mining plans in central Newfoundland
Minister's decision coming in March for Marathon Gold
Barb Dean-Simmons · Journalist | Posted: Jan. 14, 2022, 4:06 p.m. | Updated: Jan. 14, 2022, 6:30 p.m. | 8 Min Read
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The Buchans and Grey River caribou herds migrate through central Newfoundland, through land now occupied by Marathon Gold.
Johnny Cash may have been the most famous American to hunt moose in central Newfoundland but others have been coming here for years to bag big game or fish the local rivers for salmon and trout.
In a normal year about 7,000 hunters and anglers book excursions with local outfitters, said Cory Foster, executive director with the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association (NLOA).
Nearly half of them come from the U.S., half come from Canada and about 10 per cent come from other places in the world, Foster told SaltWire.
They lay down anywhere from $4,500 to $12,000 or more for hunting and angling packages in from central Newfoundland to the Northern Peninsula and Labrador.But that’s small change for the wealthy adventure seekers who arrive by private jet.
A golden year ahead for central Newfoundland as companies continue to test and build for gold
A golden year ahead for central Newfoundland as companies continue to test and build for gold
Music, moose.
“You can go to Gander airport or Deer Lake airport and see private jets there from the time hunting season opens in September until the season closes at the end of October,” said Foster.
The industry brings about $50 million in new money for the provincial economy, with revenue for family-operated hunting camps and lodges and employment for about 1,300 people.
The outfitters association would like to keep it that way.
Marathon Gold hopes to be ready for first gold at a mine in central Newfoundland by October of 2023. —
That’s why they’ve been keeping a close eye on the gold exploration activity in central Newfoundland.
The area from Conne River to Gander is littered with mining claims and drilling activity as companies explore, find and drill for gold.
One of them, Marathon Gold, is aiming to have a mine up and running by 2023 in the Buchans and Millertown area.
Environmental assessment. The company submitted a revised environmental impact statement (EIS) with the province’s environment department.
It’s their third submission since starting the environmental assessment process in the spring of 2019.
The province asked the company to revise its original submission, as well as the amended document filed this past September.
One of the things the province wanted was more details on how the company plans to protect the caribou herd that migrates through the area..
Marathon Gold has made some refinements to its plan for the Valentine Lake project, such as changing the location of piles of waste rock, to provide a wider corridor for migration of the caribou herds through the mining area.
The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) also had concerns about potential impacts on rivers in the area that are home to Atlantic salmon.
The company says fuels and hazardous materials storage on site will be a minimum of 200 metres from a salmon river or tributary and 100 metres from other waterbodies. Spill kits will also be maintained on site during all phases of the project.
The recently-revised EIS is now open for public comment, until Feb. 28.
The minister is expected to make a decision by March 22.
The full document can be found on the department’s website.
Written comments can be emailed to EAProjectcomments@gov.nl.ca or mailed to: Eric Watton, M.Sc. Project EAC Chair Valentine Gold Project Environmental Assessment Division Department of Environment and Climate Change P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s NL A1B 4J6
Finding balance
Foster says the NLOA hasn’t had a chance yet to review the amended EIS, but they have been working closely with Marathon Gold for the past couple of years.
“One of the things we requested from them was a plan that focused specifically on the outfitting industry, an outfitting industry environmental affects monitoring plan.”
“When they started with this project there was an outfitter impacted right away."
Cory Foster, executive director with NLOA
He said Marathon provided a draft of that plan to NLOA just before Christmas.
Foster added the company has been quite open and co-operative with the outfitters thus far.
“When they started with this project there was an outfitter impacted right away. One of their lodges was located not far from the Marathon property," he said.
Foster said the company and the outfitter were able to reach an agreement.
“Marathon hasn’t shied away from any of our concerns. Anything we’ve raised concerns about they’ve faced them head on. Everything we’ve asked for they’re doing it.”
Cory Foster, executive director with NLOA
He added there are all sorts of potential impacts for other outfitters in that region. He said the main concern of the NLOA is that outfitters can continue to do business and the mining company is willing to rectify and resolve any issues that come up during the building, operation and eventual de-commissioning of the mine. The mine will likely take a year to set up and is expected to operate for about 12 years.
So far, said Foster, they are pleased with the company’s response to the concerns of the outfitting industry. In fact, he said, Marathon contacted the outfitters even before the EIS process began.
With so many companies active in the central Newfoundland area, this environment assessment process is just the first of many to come.
It’s anticipated New Found Gold will be the next company to shift from exploration and development to mining and the NLOA will be involved in the environmental assessment process there as well, said Foster.
The New Found Gold property is near Gander and there are several outfitters operating on salmon rivers in that region.
The key goal, said Foster, is to ensure and the outfitting industry remains viable during and after the mining operations.
“We are small, family-based businesses. This is people’s livelihoods … we’re probably the oldest form of tourism in the province,” he said.
“Outfitting was here long before those guys ever came and will be there long after. So they have to make sure their practices and their operations don’t destroy that.”