Mining co. drops rights to watershed in preservation step

SEATTLE (AP) — The British Columbia government has announced the surrender of mining rights at the headwaters of the Skagit River, after years of controversy over protection of one of the region’s premier salmon rivers. The Seattle Times reports under an agreement, Imperial Metals will return to the province of B.C. all of its mining and related rights within an area known as the Skagit River “Donut Hole.” The agreement is meant to ensure the preservation and protection within the headwaters of the Skagit River. The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says the cost of the buyout of mining rights was $24 million Canadian, paid by the Canadian government and non-profits.