National

BLM opposes mine near sacred Indian sites

Compiled from wire services

Los Angeles _ A proposed open-pit gold mine just inside California's border with Arizona would irreparably damage ancient Indian cultural and religious sites and should be banned, a federal agency said Thursday.

The final environmental impact report by the Bureau of Land Management, in reversing the findings of two draft studies, said the proposed 1,571-acre mine would harm archaeological remains such as rock carvings, cleared circles and trails.

Courtney Ann Coyle, an attorney for the Quechan tribe, said the trails connect sacred sites and have been used for "hundreds if not thousands of years. This area is integral to the traditional cultural practices of the Quechan Indians and people of other Colorado River tribes."

The Quechan reservation sits near the proposed gold mine, about 20 miles northwest of Yuma, Ariz.

Glamis Imperial Corp. of Reno, Nev., was seeking permission to dig the mine, but officials now say they expect a rejection and plan to appeal in the courts.

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