A draft environmental assessment said that the mining is necessary because market conditions suggest a demand for quartz.
Over 300 acres of national forest land in Arkansas could soon become the site of quartz mining, and the public has until early May to comment for or against.
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced April 5 it’s taking public comment on mining at the Ouachita National Forest, Jessieville-Winona-Fourche Ranger District.
There were eight areas in the national forest identified as possible quartz mining sites, totaling 337 acres. Six of the eight tracts would be permitted for quartz prospecting, while the other two would be for more immediate mining and commercial sale.
USFS presented an alternative plan that would only include around 207 acres, with six tracts for prospecting and one for competitive sale.
The project would be in the portion of the Ouachita National Forest within Garland and Saline counties and would include removing trees and quartz mining activities.
A draft environmental assessment said that the mining is necessary because of a demand for quartz.
“This action is needed, because market conditions suggest that a demand for quartz exists, and preliminary reconnaissance determined that a viable quartz deposit may be present sufficient to warrant additional investigation.”
According to the assessment, initial activity would include exploratory, small-scale mining, to determine if enough quartz is present to justify a larger operation.
“In the event of development of a full production mine, the site would likely consist of an open pit style mine that utilizes heavy equipment to dig trenches and pits, dump trucks to transport spoils and recovered minerals, and reclaimed areas,” the assessment said.
The assessment included a number of issues that may exist with the project, including high risk for nearby watersheds.
The one tract included in the original plan but dropped in the alternative is one on Crystal Mountain that drains into Lake Winona. The assessment found that if mining were to occur there, sediment in the water could increase by around 825%.
Per the assessment, Lake Winona supplies drinking water for roughly 500,000 Arkansans. The draft notes that lower-income communities could be disproportionately impacted by increased water costs caused by this issue.
Other issues mentioned in the assessment include possible compromised soil productivity, potential impact on vegetation management, and “scenic integrity.”
USFS explained that once mining was complete, the land would be recontoured with previously displaced topsoil and native plants would be used to revegetate, with attempts at reforestation.
The forest service said guidelines are in place to protect nearby endangered and threatened wildlife, as well as local water sources like Lake Winona, Lake Ouachita, and the Saline River.
Public comment began on April 5 and will end 30 days later. Only those who submit comments on time can file an objection on the project later into the approval process, if it moves forward.
“For issues to be raised in objections, they must be based on previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity and attributed to the objector,” USFS said. The comments must also be signed and verified upon request.