University of Colorado

• In an effort to respond, Colorado Access has developed new strategic partnerships with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Project Worthmore to strengthen refugees' access to quality care.
• Colorado Access is now funding a health navigator position in partnership with the IRC.
• Project Worthmore, is working with Colorado Access to expand its dental clinic services with additional, updated dental equipment.
• "Dental health is a priority for Colorado Access because it is an important part of the overall health of our members," said Leah Pryor-Lease, director of community and external relations at Colorado Access.

• Miners used picks, shovels and pressurized water hoses to pry loose valuable minerals like gold and silver.
• Today, mining is a high-technology industry, but it is still governed by the Mining Law of 1872.
• Even when lands that formerly were available for mining receive new protected status as national parks or monuments, the 1872 mining law protects existing mining claims on those lands.

• Minerals like lithium, uranium and copper are essential for shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and for many other uses in our increasingly technological society.
• As a natural resource and public land scholar, I agree with many others who argue that the 1872 mining law is archaic and overdue for an update.

Royalty-free development

• Today, open federal public lands are managed by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.
• In either case, they are considered available for hard rock mining.
• For example, the current royalty rate for oil and gas production on federal land is 16.67% of the market value of these fuels.
• High-profile mining proposals today include copper mines in Arizona and lithium mines in Nevada.

Decades of debate

• Mining on public lands, especially prior to the 1970s, left a multitude of contaminated zones that federal agencies are still working to clean up at taxpayer expense.
• Today, mining operations are subject to modern land management and environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act.
• But these laws were not written specifically to address mining and do not fully cover issues such as disposal of mine waste.

• In their view, the federal government applies the 1872 mining law in a way that forces companies to spend years securing necessary approvals.
• In September 2023, the Interior Department released a 168-page report making recommendations for improving mining on public lands.
• These measures would retain the structure of the 1872 law while taking steps to streamline permitting for large-scale mining activities.

Balancing critical minerals and conservation

• In my view, focusing myopically on critical minerals and moving forward with a new era of domestic mining should not occur without reforming the 1872 law.
• Halting climate change and powering a new green economy may involve some trade-offs between short-term and long-term environmental protection goals.
• In 1872, our nation’s lands and natural resources may have seemed inexhaustible; today, we know they are finite, and that using them responsibly means balancing development and stewardship.

Sam Kalen served as Special Assistant to the Associate Solicitor for Minerals and Resources at the US Department of the Interior from 1994-1996. Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

• Today, LIV SIR announces a significant leadership transition that marks a new era for the company.
• Taking over as the new President of LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Colorado is Shannel Ryan.
• LIV SIR’s Colorado resorts will maintain their strong local leadership with in-market expertise, deep-rooted relationships, and unwavering community ties.
• Coupled with the global brand cache of Sotheby’s International Realty (SIR), this collaboration across Colorado will continue to amplify LIV SIR’s success.

• ELGIN, Ill., Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT) , the Foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA), recently granted 31 scholarships totaling $46,500 to students enrolled in manufacturing certificate and degree programs.
• These awards help defray educational expenses such as tuition fees, books, and other school-related costs for the upcoming semester.
• It is very encouraging to see this growth in interest, and NBT is extremely proud to support these accomplished students in their pursuit of manufacturing careers," said Ed Dernulc, NBT Foundation Director.
• "Our sincere belief is that this opportunity will help lay the groundwork for them to become valuable contributors to the ever-evolving metal fabrication industry."