A unit of Lasting Forests
Sustained forests; sustained profits
evolving since March 30, 1999

Project Pivotal-Rig
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Enterprise 8

Prospectors

  

Prospectors is a for-profit enterprise within Pivotal-Rig, Inc. and the Nature Folks unit. As in other enterprises, relations are as important as the specific work of the enterprise. It attempts to relate to all aspects of people's great interests in mining, geology, geomorphology, rocks, soil, and minerals. The organization sponsors "prospecting trips" as a primary activity but it has a diverse set of tactics all aimed at improved, comprehensive resource management with an emphasis in the diverse realms of geology. The work will be changing, but in the first years, the tasks will be:

  • Creating a geologic database (including hazard maps) for the lands of the region and moving it into the GIS.
  • Creating a mines and karst topography database and area history.
  • Mapping with GPS
  • Mapping radioactivity and potential toxicants (e.g., arsenic and lead).
  • Arranging for university geology field trips (a "tent city") from universities around the world with analyses and reports.
  • Developing camps for "prospectors," people who want a 2-5 day wildland mining experience.
  • Developing guided tours with donkeys or llamas, "The Old Codgers Group," education, early dress, foods (promoting Pivotal's Sourdough (see under The Products Group), music, etc.
  • Working with all enterprises to assure "environmental geology" is integrated into their projects (roads, trails, fishery, viewscapes, soils, forest site quality and stress, safety).
  • Developing publications (e.g., relating forests and geology; geology and wildlife; geology and the stream fishery; geology and rangeland types; and fossil records).
  • Encouraging responsible mineral rock collecting. Providing a stone-polishing service for visitors, one that allows them to take "their perfect stone" from a stream with them.
  • Reducing problems from abandoned mines and mine tailings.
  • Exploring profits from new mining technology that may allow resource development within the context of the Pivotal-Rig concept.

    The activities, services, and products of the Prospectors are:

    1. Field trips
    2. Newsletter
    3. Research
    4. Photo opportunities
    5. Mineral collecting and displays of local, regional materials
    6. Mining and mineral-resource-based ecotourism (see The Tours Group)
    7. Promoting responsible mineral collecting and prospecting
    8. Sale of prospecting equipment (panning, hammers, display cases)
    9. Publications on geological strata, maps, historical geology and ecology including computer maps of select areas
    10. Publications on mining, clay, sand, and gravel history
    11. Art sales (painting, sculpture, photographs)
    12. Tours into mines and caves
    13. Mineral collections
    14. Trips to locate abandoned mines and to study their influences
    15. Web-page interactions for members with emphasis on rocks and minerals and on geological mapping (advertising support)
    16. Interaction with the Wildland Knowledge Base (contacts for services)
    17. Sale of mined-land reclamation services , notably nursery stock
    18. Foundation support and memorials (The Memorials Group)

    Working with others within Nature Folks, people within this group tend to emphasize the soil and geological elements of the ecosystem. Gold is still found is some parts of the Eastern US. Tours are readily created with a mine as a destination, and then ancillary activities can be included to create desirable tourism conditions...both into the region and within it for the tour-creating tour-enhancing enterprise.

    Estimates

    Development costs are low. A small staff will start. (Start-up: $60,000). Similar group work is unknown. Estimates are difficult but:

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    This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
    Last revision June 8, 2002.