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Gault Group inc. creating paradigms in resource management J~yly 11, 2007 '(J Hinsdale County Commissioners X311 Henson St. Lake City, CO 81235 Dear Commissioners: ~/ Re~~~ed ~ ~U! 2~2~0j ~~~:~ ~. '`t'`~~~'°/Js arm, ~~~at'Q4 '~ ~'7L71~N N~oN~a~K W11-JE ~i1M-~9~e-o91-~~ /~j tt c.vSJl Gr/ : IN 8~ R(SKS This letter is provided in response to an increasing amount of regulatory scrutiny that is being directed at the Golden Wonder Mine. It is my belief, based on personal observation and involvement, that the increased regulatory scrutiny is directly attributable to the activities of the Lake Fork Watershed Group. The increased scrutiny is not warranted because the Golden Wonder Mine poses an insignificant risk to the environment, and unfortunate because it unnecessarily puts in peril the financial benefits to the community that derive from the mine. Any assertion that the Golden Wonder Mine poses a significant risk deserving the attentions of the Lake Fork Watershed Group and greater regulatory scrutiny are based on poor science and unfounded technical assumptions. A purpose of this letter is to explain these statements, in the hope that the Commissioners will take a position toward the mine that reflects a true assessment of its benefits and risks. For background information, I was the coordinator for another watershed group from 1990 through to 2005 in Lake County. When I led the Lake County group, we focused our efforts based on arisk-ranking of watershed concerns using water quality as an indicator of the concern. We accomplished years of water quality sampling and data collection prior to embarking upon any intrusive regulatory action or cleanup effort of an environmental concern. In essence, we had a strong foundation of scientific evidence that guided us in identifying sources of water quality issues that we should tackle. We then contacted land-owners and all possible watershed trustees and secured all appropriate records of access and agreements to embark upon regulatory and cleanup activities. These efforts took years to accomplish but reached a successful pinnacle with the worthwhile remediation of several mine-related features of known concern. The Lake Fork Watershed Group in Hinsdale County does not take a similarly rigorous approach in its efforts, For the past seven months, [have been attending the group's regular monthly meetings and observing its efforts. While the desire of the group's members to ensure mining does not harm the environment is commendable, their approach is clearly flawed. The group is constantly in the process of obtaining information to further characterize the watershed, yet at the same time it embarks upon cleanup initiatives targeting mine-related features that have only a "perceived," and ~o ~1Jw 2200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 277 36 West Main Street Phoenix, Arizona 85016 Cortez, Colorado 81321 602/2946652 fax 602/2946659 970/565-1222 fax 970/565-1226