BLM has released the Northern Arizona proposed withdrawal final environmental impact statement (EIS), which analyzes the potential effects of withdrawing federal lands near the Grand Canyon.
According to the EIS, the proposed action, would withdraw about one million acres of federal land, subject to valid existing rights.
The withdrawal would prevent individuals and companies from staking new mining claims, but will allow operations to continue and new operations to be approved on valid existing claims.
The EIS also estimates that about 11 uranium mines could be operational over the next 20 years under the preferred alternative, including the four mines currently approved.
