Secretary Salazar Presents Bayhorse Mining District Cooperative Conservation Project with Partners in Conservation Award

05/07/2009
Last edited 09/29/2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today presented a Partners in Conservation Award to the “Bayhorse Mining District Cooperative Conservation with Partners” Project for their work at the Bayhorse Mining District in Idaho.

It was one of 26 national awards to individuals and organizations presented at a ceremony at Interior headquarters in Washington, D.C. to honor “those who achieve natural resource goals in collaboration and partnership with others.”

The 26 Partners in Conservation Awards recognize conservation achievements resulting from the cooperation and participation of a total of 600 individuals and organizations including landowners; citizens' groups; private sector and nongovernmental organizations; and federal, state, local, and/or tribal governments.

“The Partners in Conservation Awards demonstrate that our greatest conservation legacies often emerge when stakeholders, agencies, and citizens from a wide range of backgrounds come together to address shared challenges,” the Secretary said. “The Bayhorse Mining District Cooperative Conservation Partnership has had countless projects that have remediated mining-related hazards and environmentally affected areas, and they have provided a positive recreation experience for the general public.”

Since 2001, Bureau of Land Management personnel in the Idaho Falls District investigated 30 Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) sites on public lands in the Bayhorse Mining District. After a thorough investigation, they found 48 dangerous open mine workings and one easily accessible area of toxic tailings. After this investigation, 30 open mine workings were closed. The partnership has also constructed more than 11,000 feet of protective fence and put down 300 tons of asphalt to cap toxic slag. These efforts have made the Bayhorse Mining District a much safer place for visitors to enjoy.

“These 26 awards recognize the dedicated efforts of thousands of people from all walks of life, from across our nation– and from across our borders with Canada and Mexico,” Salazar noted. “They celebrate partnerships that conserve and restore our nation's treasured landscapes and watersheds, partnerships that engage Native American communities, and partnerships that engage youth.”

Bureau of Land Management
Eric Aiello
Keith Andrews
Phil Barbarick
Dick Buster
Jeff Christenson
Kristen Coons
Ken Gardner
Julia Gower
Erin Hanson
Carol Hearne
Andrew Hess
David Howell
Joe Kraayenbrink
Kevin Lloyd
Michaela Moen
Steve Moore
Carren Morgan
Charles Morton
Dana Perkins
Leigh Redick
Peggy Redick
Karen Rice
David Rosenkrance
Carl T. Seaburg
Kevin Storms
Jim Tarkalson
Ronald Tipton
Raymond Torrey
Tim Vanek
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
Jeff Cook
Rick Cummins
Kathleen Durfee
Jeff Egan
Troy Elmore
Chuck Felton
Steve Frost
Joni Hawley
Ernie Lombard
Bob Meinen
Rich Novotny
David Ricks
Gary Rucker
Dean Sangrey
Dan Smith
Garth Taylor
Chuck Wells
Idaho State Historic Preservation Office
Suzi Pengilly
Don Watts
TerraGraphics, Environmental Engineering, Inc.
Tom Bourque
Dereck Forseth
Ian VonLindern
Sarah Weppner

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