At Oregon Resources, temporary land use is our goal.
We’re passionate about delivering innovative, progressive reclamation programs and restoring our mined sites back into functional property. Dealing primarily with timber owners and growers, we access cleared properties, mine the in-situ resource and then return that land back to the growers. Due to the hardness of the underlying clay-pan, our mining breaks through this layer of soil assisting the growers in providing an improved growing environment for the timber they subsequently plant. Working in partnership with landowners that have a very strong understanding of the growing needs of natural pine in the area, we believe that we will create new benchmarks in land rehabilitation. This will provide for long term self-sustainability within the Coos Bay regional forests. At Oregon Resources, we return the land for growing purposes in the same way as the land is being utilized today.
Our Mining Process
Prior to accessing the mineral sands, the site is cleared of trees and vegetation, called “overburden”. The top soil is cleared and set aside to be used later during the reclamation process. These stockpiles act as safety berms around the perimeter of the mine site and provide additional sound buffers.
There is no ‘drill-and-blast’ at any of the mining locations. All mineral sands are excavated and trucked without the need for crushing.
The material is transported by covered truck to the processing plant located near the city of Coos Bay. There are no environmentally chemicals used in the operation.
Reclamation
Restoration of the mine sites is designed to be part of the on-going operation. After separation is complete, the non-mineralized sand, silt and clay are recombined and dewatered. This results in 40 to 70 percent of the original material extraction.The non-mineralized sand is then returned to the site, placed back into the ground and contoured. Once contoured, the overburden and topsoil (removed in the initial process) are returned. With the topsoil in place, the land will be contoured to a natural setting before reforestation.
Community
Oregon Resources is committed to promoting a sustainable future for the communities in which we work and will continue building a prosperous and sustainable economy and future for the Coos Bay community.
Ravaged by a slowing economic environment brought about by a slowing timber industry throughout the 1990’s, the area has suffered from high unemployment and lack of new business initiatives. We continue to work closely with the local government and business leaders to support new industry in the community.
Our goals are to:
- Build a strong organization of skilled and technical personnel.
- Practice responsible development of natural resources.
- Demonstrate excellence in safety, health and environmental performance.
- Partner with the local community to develop economic growth and social infrastructure.
Oregon Resources is committed to providing support for many local community initiatives.