Five placer mining applications filed in Circle Mining District near Central and Chicken

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has received four separate applications for mechanical placer mining permits in the Circle Mining District, according to public notices issued by the department.

The applications, filed under the state's Multi-Agency Application for Permits to Mine in Alaska (APMA) process, include:

• APMA F20262192 for mechanical placer mining near Central

• APMA F20267097 for mechanical placer mining on Crooked Creek near Central

• APMA F20269310 for mechanical placer mining on Crooked Creek near Chicken

• APMA F20262156 for mechanical placer mining on Ptarmigan Creek near Central

All four proposals involve mechanical placer mining operations, which use heavy equipment to extract gold from stream gravels. APMA forms include applications for Miscellaneous Land Use Permits, Plan of Operations Approvals, and Reclamation Plan Approvals for mining operations.

Public comment periods are now open for each application. Written comments must be submitted by the stated deadline to the Division of Mining, Land and Water in Fairbanks, according to standard APMA notice procedures.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources uses APMA public notices to solicit comments on placer mining and reclamation proposals in the Circle Mining District. An APMA submitted through DNR can also serve as an application for a Department of the Army permit when one is required, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District.

The Circle mining district has a documented history of gold placer mining dating back at least to the early 20th century geological literature.