Notice of Availablity for Mining on Dan Creek

Date: May 24, 2012

The National Park Service is evaluating a proposal submitted by Randy Elliott for the purpose of accessing and conducting a placer mining operation on Mineral Survey 923 located at Dan Creek within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.The Dan Creek claims are privately-owned property which was patented in 1912 without surface use restrictions.

The environmental assessment (EA) provides an overview of the proposed project and analyzes two alternatives and their impacts on the environment: Alternative 1, the No Action Alternative, and Alternative 2, the Proposed Action Alternative to authorize access to Dan Creek and proposed mining operations with National Park Service stipulations. Access would involve the use of motorized equipment within a river corridor running from a point on the Dan Creek Road just north of the western approach to the Nizina River Bridge to the private property boundary on lower Dan Creek.

Interested parties may review the EA online.Go to the NPS website at to retrieve the EA and provide your comments. Comments on the EA may be sent by mail to the park during the 30-day public review period, lasting from May 18 through June 18, 2012.

If you have any questions, please contact the Superintendent Rick Obernesser or Senior Management Analyst Danny Rosenkrans at [phone].