SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS EIGHTY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. R. 9000 TO ASSIST AND PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WASHINGTON, D. C., HEARINGS HELD SEPTEMBER 11, 18, 20, 1950 86706 Serial No. 39 Printed for the use of the Committee on Public Lands UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1951 ad work A Hon. Compton I. White, a Representative in Congress from the State John Sieker, Chief, Division of Recreation and Lands, Forest Service_ Howard R. Jones, assistant to the chief engineer, Forest Service -- Roscoe E. Bell, Associate Director, Bureau of Land Management, J. S. Vhay, geologist, United States Geological Survey, Department of 366 Allen C. Merritt, civil engineer and mining engineer. Appendix No. 2. Domestic Copper Parity Details, by Hoval A. Smith Appendix No. 3. Cobalt Mine Access Road, from the Idaho Daily States- ILLUSTRATIONS 1. "Packing in" to roadless area in central Idaho__ facing 18 36 3. "Tough going”—Getting in mine supplies roadless area in central 54 4. New mine development following on the heels of road construction in 72 5. Boating mine supplies down "river of no return," roadless area in cen- 6. Busted oil barrel dropped from an airplane in an attempt to get lubri- cants to mine mill operating in the roadless area on Thunder Moun- MINE ACCESS ROADS WITHIN THE NATIONAL FORESTS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1950 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON MINES AND MINING OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS, Washington, D. C. The special subcommittee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Wayne N. Aspinall (chairman) presiding. Mr. ASPINALL. The committee will please be in order. This is a meeting of a special subcommittee of the Subcommittee on Mines and Mining, called at the direction of the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands for the purpose of studying and hearing evidence on H. R. 9000, a bill introduced by our colleague, Mr. White, of Idaho, to assist and promote the development of the mineral resources located within the national forests of the United States, authorizing the construction of roads by the Secretary of Agriculture for the use of the owners or operators of mining properties, and for other A BILL To assist and promote the development of the mineral resources located within the national forests of the United States, authorizing the construction of roads by the Secretary of Agriculture for the use of the owners or operators of mining properties, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, when an application is made to the Secretary of the Interior by any owner and/or operator of any mineral or placer claim, or group of mineral or placer claims, located within a national forest of the United States, for the construction of a road and bridges necessary for the transportation of mineral products of, or supplies for, such mineral or placer claims, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to cause an examination of said mineral or placer claims by a qualified representative of the United States Geological Survey, and when it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that development on a mineral or placer claim or group of claims situated within any national forest of the United States has proved the existence of mineral or ore bodies in quantity and commercial value sufficient to warrant the expenditure of public moneys for the construction of roads and bridges to facilitate the operation and development of such mineral or placer claims, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to provide the construction, reconstruction, or repair of roads, trails, and bridges within the boundaries of any national forest in aid of the development and operation of such mineral claims. SEC. 2. Any road, trail, or bridge constructed or reconstructed or repaired as provided in section 1 of this Act shall be available for the use of the general public, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture. SEC. 3. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sums of $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1951, and $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1952, to be expended for carrying out the provisions of this Act. Mr. ASPINALL. Inasmuch as we have received reports from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior on 1 |