Mining defeat draws cheers

[montana500]

www.wilderness-sportsman.com

"Wyoming residents and conservationists Wednesday hailed the death of aneffort in Congress to repeal an 11-year-old ban on the sale of miningclaims on public lands.

The measure was attached in the U.S. House to the federal budget andsought to roll back a ban on the conversion of mining claims to privateproperty. Critics said the measure would have led to a sell-off ofpublic land and that any changes to the 1872 mining law should bedebated on their merits, not pushed through as a budget amendment.

U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., earned praise from the Jackson HoleConservation Alliance for his staunch opposition to the change, knownafter its House sponsor as the “Pombo provision.”