2006-01-04_REVISION - M1992045

• Permit No: M1992045
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Date: 1/4/2006
• Doc Name: Email to Chaffee County
• From: James VanElla
• To: DMG
• Type & Sequence: AM1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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Page 1 of 2
From: Jim VanElla [goldba/[e-mail]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 6:39 AM
To: [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail];
[e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Mr. Reimer,
My name is Jim Van Ella. My wife and I own 161 acres, 8 miles west of Granite on county
raad 398 on the Chaffee and Lake county line at the very top of Lost Canyon. We are at
12,200 feet elevation. Township 125, Range 80W, Section 5, this property is in the hope
Mining District. Our 161 acres contain three patented mining claims, June, July and Gold
Basin. It has a mineral patented number survey, 1130423.
We presently have a mining and reclamation permit with the DMG that we purchased in
1992, At that time it was Mined Land Reclamation, a Colorado State operation. We were
given a permit number M-1992-045 15 years ago to placer mine and for reclamation of the
property. The permit with the state was to be for the life of the mine. We really didn't want
a mining permit, we were after just a reclamation permit but there wasn't one available.
This property has been mined for 140 years and it was badly abused. We thought we could
do the reclamation on the land and make a difference, we have. We did some contouring
with stone and grass seed on the steep dug away slopes. We have stopped all winter and
spring erosion. We have built a 30 vehicle parking lot for 3,500+ visitors and prospecting
clubs that visit us every season. We have built a helicopter pad for flight forlife if ever
needed. A lot of our visitors are elderly and at 12,200 feet elevation the thin air can be
dangerous. Our visitors come from all over the US and many foreign countries.
We recently received an opportunity to amend our permit with the DMG from 3 acres to 9.9
acres at NO CHARGE! This is very much appreciated because it gives us a saving of
almost $1,000.00 to put to additional reclamation on the new 6 acres. We have no intention
of mining it. The additional acres was pre disturbed many years ago and needs a lot of
work. And that brings this letter to you, Don Reimer.
I received a letter from DMG, Carl Mount telling us that you are not allowing the
amendment permit to be approved by the county board of commissioners. I
don't understand why! This has always been a mining district and when we purchased it in
1990 it was a mining property then. We have pain the county thousand of dollars in
property tax and we have improved this property ten times over for the next generation to
enjoy. Chaffee County has a banded county road 398, 7, miles down from our property and
turned it over to the forest service cutting the property access time in the spring. What more
do you expect from us?
VVe own the land fee-simple absolute, we own 15 cubic feet of water per second, we have a
1/4/2006