Solitario Resources Corp.

Click to open! Ponderosa Project Updated – 6/10/25 – Public notice and the beginning of a 30-day public comment period are expected later in June.

NORTHERN HILLS GOLD DRILLING PROJECT BACK ON THE TABLE

The Ponderosa gold exploration drilling project, which is proposed for the area just south of Cheyenne Crossing in the northern Black Hills, is not “On Hold” anymore.  Instead, the project application process is active, according to the Black Hills National Forest.  Public notice and the beginning of a 30-day public comment period are expected later in June.

This project is proposed by Solitario Resources and is upstream from Spearfish Canyon and Spearfish Creek.  It is south of the adjacent project by Solitario, the Golden Crest project, which is now being drilled.  Like Golden Crest, the Forest Service is recommending the Ponderosa project for a categorical exclusion — meaning the drilling would just be allowed to go ahead without further environmental review.

However, this project is almost twice the size of the Golden Crest project — 43 drill pads and potentially 430 drill holes as much as 3281 feet deep.  Typically, drilling may be done vertically or at an angle.  The company wants to drill 24 hours a day. 

A sun dance ground on land owned by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is only 1.1 miles from the project boundary.  A number of roads — some of them popular for recreation — would be widened or re-opened, and traffic would include pickup trucks, drilling equipment, water trucks, and a backhoe/skid steer.  The company’s application says that water (usually 5,000 – 10,000 gallons per drill rig per day) would be from municipal or private water sources, but does not specifically say where the drilling water would come from.

The application (Plan of Operations) and other documents for this project can be found here.

In any season, witnessing the beauty while cruising, or just sitting, in Spearfish Canyon, located in the Black Hills in western South Dakota, shows why it is recognized as “one of the premiere national landscapes in America.” This majestic canyon is designated as a Scenic Byway. People who love this canyon have been working to protect it. How about you? Will you Help Protect this beautiful national landscape?

Why? Because Solitario Resources Corp., (Formerly Solitario Zinc) a gold exploration company, is seeking permission from the US Forest Service, Northern Hills Ranger District, to drill at 23 sites on about 27,800 acres of mining claims as part of its Golden Crest Exploration Drilling Project.  This project would be South of Spearfish, SD, west of Spearfish Canyon, and east of Iron Creek Lake. Sites are located from the Big Hill area south to the Limestone Plateau. Project map.

In March of 2023, Solitario asked the US Forest Service to approve a second gold exploration project called the Ponderosa Project.  This would be southwest of Cheyenne Crossing along Highway 85.  The project would involve doing exploration drilling from 49 drill pads (as many as 10 holes per drill pad).  

Below is a updated Plan of Operations:

Ponderosa_PlanofOperations_121424Download

Below is Solitario Resources’ Amendment Letter to their Ponderosa Plan of Operations:

Ponderosa_PlanofOperations_AmendmentLetter_042325Download
Golden Crest Project Plan of Operation
Ponderosa Project Plan of Operation

These threats include: 

  • the natural environment (water, trails, wildlife, land)
  • the economy of the area, which is reliant upon outdoor recreation and tourism in the potentially impacted area
  • tribal cultural resources
  • human social and physical health
Golden Crest Project Updates/Milestones
  • GOLDEN CREST EXPLORATION DRILLING #62590
  • Project Milestones provided by the USFS, Northern Hills Ranger District
    • 8/2/22 – Scoping Start
    • 5/10/23 – Comment Period Announced. News Release.
    • 6/8/23 – Comment Period Ended. 1098 comments submitted. Go to Reading Room page 6.
    • 12/12/23 – Legal Notice published – USDA Forest Service prepared an environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact (DN/FONSI) for the Golden Crest Exploration Drilling Project.
    • 1/26/24 – Objection Period End. Go to Reading Room page 1-6.
    • 4/29/24 – Decision made to give the Green Light.
    • 6/1/24 – Implementation (Estimate)

To learn more read some of our past blog posts regarding Solitario Resources.

“They are back at it!”

On December 12, the Northern Hills Ranger District of Black Hills National Forest notified the public that they plan to issue the exploration permit that Solitario Resources (formerly…

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Help Protect this natural wonder and the water from exploration and mining.  Please sign our Change.org petition “HANDS OFF SPEARFISH CANYON!”