Jackson County Board Passes  Exploration Moratorium

June 25, 1997
From: Headwaters Group of Northern Thunder
P.O. Box 124
Fairchild, WI  54741
Ph/FX: 715-334-2271

The Jackson County Board of Supervisors at Tuesday's monthly meeting
unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on metallic mining exploration for
zoned communities within the county.

This action was taken in the aftermath of disclosures that the Flambeau
Mining Company has undertaken a renewed effort to sign county landowners to
twenty-year lease purchase agreements for exploration and possible
development of metallic zoning operations in the area.

The County zoning office is presently drafting a zoning ordinance for
metallic mineral exploration, but it was felt, given the complex and
politically volatile nature of this issue, instituting the moratorium would
allow the effort to go forward with more care and deliberation.

The moratorium, as passed, applies to only the eight zoned townships in the
county. However, many of the unzoned communities already have metallic
mining permitting ordinances in place and, at present, the mining company
has no permit applications pending. Of the townships where Flambeau has
expressed interest in exploring, Garden Valley and Adams are zoned
communities. Cleveland, Garfield, Adams and Albion townships have passed
mining permitting ordinances and Cleveland has also instituted its own
interim moratorium on land-use changes while it develops its town plan.
Thus, of the communities where Flambeau has expressed interest in
exploration, only the Town of Irving is without of regulatory ordinance.

There was some discussion at the board meeting about the possibility of
extending the moratorium to the unzoned communities under powers protecting
the general health, welfare and protection of county waters. It was decided
that more time was required to research the legal precedence for such a move
and to determine if the affected communities desired such protection.

In an unrelated but environmentally significant move, the board also passed
a strong animal waste containment ordinance that would be enforced under the
land conservation office and applies to the entire county. It sets standards
for large agricultural animal waste storage facilities, assures safe
abandonment of such facilities and otherwise protects the county streams and
rivers.

For further information contact:

Tom Wilson, Headwaters Group of Northern Thunder 715-334-2271
Steve Dickinsen, County Board Chairman 715-284-0258
Gaylord Olson, County Land Conservation Department 715-284-0256
John Kariger, Cleveland Town Board Chair  715-334-4241
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