REVIEW: ISLAND IN THE SKY
“Conglomerate Mesa is this really special unique Joshua Tree Island out there between the Sierra’s, which are the highest mountains in the area. Then you get to Inyo all the way to the lowest point in the contiguous United States, Death Valley. The Conglomerate Mesa is right there in the middle,” says Kris Hohag, Educator and Indigenous Activist, in the film, “Island in the Sky.”
Conglomerate Mesa is the ancestral homeland of the Shoshone (Newe), Paiute (Nuumu) and the Timbisha Native Americans. Today, it continues to be used by the Nuumu, Newe, and Timbisha Tribal Nations from Payahuunadü or Panawe (Owens Valley) for activities like exploration, hunting, and pinyon nut gathering. The film, “Island in the Sky: Our Fight to Protect Conglomerate Mesa,” provides a glimpse into the current mining operations, and serves to support the the immediate protection of Conglomerate Mesa from extractive industries like mining, including all mining activities by K2 Gold and Mojave Precious Metals on Conglomerate Mesa.
Now through October 16 is your chance to voice your opinions about mining activity happening on Conglomerate Mesa. Recently K2 Gold’s Phase II Drill Program at the Mojave Project has gained approval from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). A briefing from BLM officials was held on July 3, 2023, following which K2’s Notice of Intent (NOI) was approved for publication. The NOI for the Mojave Exploration Drilling Project was announced by the BLM on August 16, initiating a 60-day public scoping and comment period. Subsequently, the BLM will create a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that considers public input and project alternatives.
Inyo Environmentalist of almost half a century Mike Prather, says in the film that, “If this mining pit goes in at Conglomerate Mesa, this would be the most destructive environmental act in the history on Inyo County, since the city of Los Angeles came to the Owens Valley in the early 1900s.” Steve Swatton, Director and Former CEO of K2 Gold Corporation says, “I can see that this next round of drilling, which is 10,000 meters, it’s a significant program for us, but it’s not going to cause undue degradation.”
The Conglomerate Mesa Coalition’s purpose is to stand united against all mining activities on Conglomerate Mesa. “This coalition and our group of supporters believe that Conglomerate Mesa deserves to be permanently protected for current and future generations,” they state. Hohag explained that the miners are requesting five to seven miles of new roads, as well as over 100 additional holes.
There are now 12 gold and base metal exploration targets on the Mojave property. Since acquiring it, the company has completed a 17-hole 2540-meter RC drilling program focusing on the Dragonfly and Newmont Zones.
The public is invited to an informative evening Wednesday, Oct. 4, as Friends of the Inyo in collaboration with the Conglomerate Mesa Coalition, present a free virtual screening of the documentary “Island in the Sky.” The 7 to 8:30 p.m. virtual event will begin with a showing of the film, to be followed by a panel discussion with local experts, all of whom also appear in “Island in the Sky.” The 20 minute film explains the potential devastating impacts of gold mining on Conglomerate Mesa and the Southern Inyo desert lands surrounding it, with particular mention of recent golf mining activities in the area.
