Cougar Gold on the offense

Right now, mining company Cougar Gold is laying out its next steps to the Mono County Board of Supervisors and the attending public. This evening, Cougar Gold will follow up with a Town Hall meeting from 6-8 p.m. where representatives of the company will give a presentation before opening up discussion with Mono County residents.

The purpose of the meetings, according to Cougar Gold CEO Marcel Deguire, is to discuss the process of its first round of exploratory drilling in the Bodie Hills, as well as the results, and to lay out how the company’s next steps may affect those in Mono County.

District 4 Supervisor Tim Hansen (who has worked for Cougar Gold in the past) told The Sheet last week that he believed the next steps mentioned would revolve around more exploratory work in the near term, but may also include the company’s view on what should happen if the Bodie Wilderness Study Area were released from its wilderness designation.

Last year, U.S. Congressman Buck McKeon, who represents Mono County, floated a bill that called for the release of the Bodie WSA from its protected status. The Bureau of Land Management, which has jurisdiction over the area, has yet to make a determination one way or another.

Tonight’s Town Hall meeting takes place at the Bridgeport Memorial Hall from 6-8 p.m.