Mining Background

Over the last several years there has been considerable increase in mining exploration and activities within the CSTC territory.  Both the province of BC and mining companies are investing in inventories and exploration of minerals.  One of the many effects of the mountain pine beetle infestation include causing the foliage of forests to thin and/or disappear altogether.  This has made the use of remote sensing technologies easier to determine what lies beneath the forest floor, which was difficult to assess previously.  The experiences with mines and the mining industry for the CSTC communities have not been positive.  Millions, if not billions, of dollars have left the CSTC communities with little or no benefits.  There have also been many environmental issues regarding old and new mines, some of which will be mentioned in this section.

As new mines are being proposed throughout the CSTC territory, many of the old mines require considerable reclamation and healling.  Some of the old mines that require reclamation include the following (some listed link to maps and/or additional information):

• Pinche Lake Mine (Mercury)
• Huckleberry Mine
• Endako Mine
• Kemess South
• Kemess North

Like with all natural resource managment areas, the communities of the CSTC require meaningful consultation and accomodation regarding mining activities within their territories.