New gold rush faces strong opposition

RAPID CITY – Historically, gold has been considered an investment option. During periods of economic uncertainty, gold prices often increase, leading some individuals to invest in gold. There has been a recent spike in gold which has been attracting new investment for mining companies looking to mine for gold in the Black Hills. Residents and resource advocates say that the project threatens Spearfish Canyon and water resources.

Natural resource exploration company Solitario Resources, one of numerous companies proposing projects all over the Black Hills, has proposed exploration drilling for gold mineralization in the Black Hills south of Spearfish Canyon on National Forest System land. Gold mineralization refers to the geological processes that concentrate gold into economically viable deposits.

Their plan, the Ponderosa Drilling Project, would conduct exploratory drilling operations at up to 49 sites in the Long draw and Limestone Plateau areas, about 13 miles south of Spearfish. District Ranger Patrick Champa notified the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) on July 21, 2025, that the Northern Hills Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) is considering the proposal. Included in the notification was a scoping notice and map request for comment from the tribe.

Solitario has the legal mining claims in the area and has the right to explore for sub-surface minerals to those claims, under the General Mining Law of 1872. The United States Forest Service (USFS) is required to consider the plan and determine the potential for environmental impacts. The Black Hills National Forest says there would be no mining under this proposal.

The BHNF just closed public comment on the project. They received one thousand seven-hundred and seventy-four comments most of whom oppose the project.

Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST ) President Frank Star Come Out and Fifth Member Trina Lone Hil made their official position public in their comments submitted by tribal attorney Mario Gonzalez. They said their issues are critical and requested that BHNF incorporate these views into their considerations and proceedings.

The Tribe noted that all Sioux bands have used and “occupied the Black Hills ‘since time immemorial,’ thus establishing their Aboriginal title to the Black Hills based on use and occupation,” as established under the 1851 Forst Laramie Treaty and the 1868 First Laramie Treaty.

Article 12 of the Treaty established an important protection for Lakota lands by requiring that any future land cessions of territory within the Great Sioux Reservation would only be valid if approved by at least three-quarters of all adult male tribal members who had an interest in those lands.

But when gold was found in the Black Hills in 1874 by trespassing citizens, Congress created the Manypenny Commission, which removed ownership of the Black Hills from the Lakota by violating the three-fourths requisite allowing the United States to take control of nine-hundred-thousand acres in the Black Hills.

The Tribe concluded that extraordinary circumstances exist that require an Environmental Assessment rather than a Categorical Exclusion and insisted that consultations are required.

The Spearfish Common Council, with support from the community, passed a resolution opposing the project. They want to have more study first and Conclusions from an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Trenton Ellis, who submitted a comment online asked that the exploratory permits not be granted. “The disturbance to the peace and well-being of the environment and our community are not worth any of the temporary economic benefits,” wrote Ellis. “These sites are high traffic areas for recreation, including hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, and more.” Ellis noted also that it’s a low-cost visit, a “peaceful respite,” a place where locals frequented as children to spend quality time with their families and are now grown and doing the same with the children and grandchildren. Ellis said the project isn’t worth the temporary economic benefits.

Katherine Collin asked that there be no drilling allowed. “As a South Dakota native and life long lover of the Black Hills, I oppose any exploration drilling in the region, especially in Spearfish Canyon. Please keep the Black Hills beautiful nature intact.

“The only true beneficiary of this request is Solitario,” wrote Taylor Gunhammer, a local NDN Collective organizer. He said the hundreds of drill holes each with depths of three thousand feet plus, exponentially increase the risk for potential irreversible contamination surrounding the watershed. “This threatens everything,” wrote Gunhammer, “from biodiversity to water run-off into Spearfish Creek, including critical recharge areas for both the Minnelusa and Madison Aquifers.” He said it threatens a crucial drinking water source and would also result in substantial loss of land for recreation and ceremonies, as the mining site is less than a mile from tribal ceremonial grounds. Gunhammer concluded that the ecological devastation would be compounded by the clearcutting of trees and vegetation at the drill pads.”

The Norbeck Society submitted a comprehensive 15-page letter, including comments and a Table of Contents, outlining concerns regarding the Forest Service’s approach to the environmental review process. The Society identified several issues, notably inconsistencies within the Forest Service, the adequacy of the review conducted, and the extent of public involvement. According to their statement, “The decision to utilize the United States Geological Society (USGS) CE instead of a straightforward Environmental Assessment (EA) appears to contradict NEPA’s (National Environmental Protection Act) ‘hard look’ standard, while also bypassing our justified participation and opportunity to raise objections.” They argue that a proper “hard look” would have examined impacts on threatened, endangered, and sensitive species and their habitats. It would have also studied potential effects on groundwater, surface water, and riparian areas.

They also point to troubling inconsistencies in the Plan of Operation (PoO). On one page it states that environmental monitoring would be conducted regularly “to ensure compliance with regulations and minimize ecological disturbances.” But on the very next page it goes into detail about decontamination supplies.

Comments overwhelmingly oppose drilling for gold near Spearfish Canyon and is not in the bests interests of the surrounding communities.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s invocation of treaty rights and historical context adds significant weight to the opposition, highlighting that this is not merely an environmental issue but one of sovereignty and historical justice. As the Black Hills National Forest reviews these comments, the decision they make will have far-reaching implications for water quality, ecological health, tribal relations, recreation and the future of public lands management in the region. While gold prices may fluctuate and mining companies may see economic opportunity, many stakeholders argue that the true wealth of the Black Hills lies in its intact ecosystems, clean water, and cultural heritage—resources that, once compromised, cannot be restored through any amount of gold extraction.

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)

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