Interior’s Data on Nation’s Mineral Wealth Is Spotty, GAO Says

The federal government doesn’t have a firm handle on how much gold, silver, copper, and other minerals it owns, according to a May 16 report from the Government Accountability Office.

The findings underscore concerns from congressional lawmakers seeking to overhaul hardrock mining laws. Some members have introduced legislation to require more federal information-gathering.

Of the six federal agencies that manage public lands, only the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service collect at least some hardrock mining-related data, GAO found.

But even those agencies don’t track the potential quantity of hardrock minerals on federal lands, the ...