Special Presentation: Gold Mining Threatens Conglomerate Mesa. What Can Be Done?

Perched high in the Inyo Mountains, Conglomerate Mesa lies one mile northwest of Death Valley National Park and five miles east of Keeler. Unique and beautiful for its thriving Joshua trees, endangered Inyo rock daisies, dark desert skies, and solitude, the mesa is also the ancestral homeland of the Shoshone (Newe), Paiute (Numuu), and Timbisha Native Americans. To this day, Conglomerate Mesa and its surrounding region are utilized by Nuumu, Newe and Timbisha Tribal Nations from Payahuunadü (commonly known as the Owens Valley) for exploration, hunting, and pinyon nut gathering.

Maria Jesus, who is a Conservation Botanist/GIS Specialist for the California Botanic Garden, has studied and deeply appreciates this special place, “As a botanist, I was drawn to work in Conglomerate Mesa because of its unique geology and diversity of rare plant species. I learned that this quiet roadless area is home to mountain lions, mule deer, and even ancient fossil species found nowhere else in the world. Conglomerate Mesa is truly irreplaceable.”

But the future is uncertain for Conglomerate Mesa, which is threatened by proposed mining exploration and the prospect of open pit gold mining. Currently, Mojave Precious Metals, a subsidiary of the Canadian-based mining company, K2 Gold, has proposed building miles of new roads into the wild and remote Mesa, situating 30 exploratory drill sites, and drilling 120 bore holes, each up to 1,000 feet deep. Their ultimate goal? K2 Gold and other private actors have been claiming vast tracks of land on the mesa, in anticipation of selling the project to a larger mining company that would build an industrial-scale open pit cyanide heap leach gold mine.

An open pit mine would permanently scar the mesa and destroy the important natural, cultural, historic, and geologic values that for so long have meant so much to so many. In the face of this impending threat, local community residents, Tribes, and a wide range of local businesses and conservation organizations are expressing their opposition to the destruction of Conglomerate Mesa and calling instead for its protection and careful stewardship.

To help the public understand the threat and what’s at stake at Conglomerate Mesa, INYO350 is hosting a special free presentation on Sunday, May 18, from 3:30-5:00PM at the Bishop United Methodist Church at 205 N. Fowler Street in Bishop. Featured speakers include Jora Fogg of the Conservation Lands Foundation and Maria Jesus, who also serves as the Conservation Chair for the local Bristlecone Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Together, they will explain the rich significance of Conglomerate Mesa, the current and potential threat of exploration and mining, and how members of the public can have their voices heard. The event is open to all and will take place in the church’s large fellowship hall. Light refreshments will be served.

As Jora Fogg notes, “Conglomerate Mesa has been under threat for decades, but now more than ever there is a targeted effort to accelerate mining on public lands. Make no mistake, without a widespread pushback against our public lands being given away to corporations, we will see more and more threats like this come to the Eastern Sierra and other special places in the west.” Fogg is the California Associate Program Director at the Conservation Lands Foundation.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency charged with overseeing mining and exploration projects and caring for Conglomerate Mesa, is considering the mining company’s proposal and is requesting comments from the public on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Comment Period is open from May 2nd to June 16th, 2025. A Public Meeting will be held in Lone Pine at Statham Hall on June 10th from 5:00-7:00PM. The public can make comments online via https://protectconglomeratemesa.com/.

###

Community Calendar Notice: INYO350 is hosting a free public presentation about the destructive mining development proposed at Conglomerate Mesa in southern Inyo County. Conglomerate Mesa lies one mile northwest of Death Valley National Park and five miles east of Keeler and is a unique and irreplaceable natural area featuring thriving Joshua trees, endangered Inyo rock daisies, mule deer, dark desert skies, and solitude. Come learn what’s at stake as mining threatens this special sky island refuge. Sunday, May 18 from 3:30-5:00PM at the Bishop United Methodist Church, 205 N. Fowler, in Bishop. Refreshments will be served.