‘Showdown Over East Mojave’

I read with considerable interest your series on the so-called California Desert Protection Act and, in particular, the article on minerals and mining in the desert (March 20). I believe that, in particular, the article on mining is very biased. Every non-mining industry “expert” (cited) works or worked for some so-called environmental group. Why were no government experts, such as mining engineers, mineral economists or geologists from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, U.S. Geological Survey or the California Division of Mines and Geology asked about the mineral potential of the desert?

Perhaps it was because the reporter might find out that: the California desert is a unique geologic area having great potential of containing deposits of significant strategic and economic value; the U.S. Bureau of Mines made a multivolume mineral resource and economic study spelling out in great detail the losses in mineral resources and economic benefits under the closure bill, and the California Division of Mines and Geology has made detailed mineral land classifications of the area that have largely been ignored even by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in its planning.

EDWIN H. MONTGOMERY

Retired Mining Engineer

Santa Monica