Gold Rush on the way?

A Utah company this week informed the Wahkiakum County board of commissioners that its representatives could soon be in the county locating, assessing and surveying abandoned mines on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land.

The company, Gold Rush Expeditions, specializes in survey, assessment and documentation of abandoned mines across the western states. The work includes underground mapping and staking claims on available properties which may have value. The company said it surveys about 400 mines a month and usually puts claims on about 80 of them.

Commissioner Dan Cothren commented that he knew of no BLM land in Wahkiakum County, but there are companies with mineral leases on state lands.

The company isn't sending crews into Washington state, GRE office manager Nicole Walker said Tuesday afternoon.

Walker said the company normally sticks to BLM land and wouldn't be interested in state land.