Bureau of Land Management reviews gold mining proposal in Baker County

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is evaluating a proposal by High Bar Mining for the Reeds Gulch Placer Project in southern Baker County, Oregon. The project involves a multi-phased gold mining operation spanning approximately 20 years across roughly 416 to 820 acres of public land near Hereford.

The proposed activities include exploration test pits, excavation pits, trenches, road improvements, and the construction of a processing site and three settling and recycling ponds. The operator intends to use conventional, non-chemical processing methods relying on water. The plan does not include blasting, and miners would dig as deep as 12 feet below the ground.

To mitigate environmental impact, the operator proposes concurrent reclamation. This process involves backfilling pits, recontouring ground, replacing growth media, and reseeding with BLM-approved weed-free seed mixes as mining moves from one site to the next.

Acting Vale District Manager Mike Decker stated that Oregon’s mineral resources assist in building a “more secure domestic supply chain.” The BLM is currently accepting public comments on the environmental assessment through November 20, 2026.