Freeport-McMoRan’s Henderson Mine Receives Colorado Parks and Wildlife Partners in the Outdoors Award

July 7, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Freeport-McMoRan’s Henderson operations recently received the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Partners in the Outdoors award for its role in helping to establish a wildlife area consisting of nearly 200 acres surrounding Urad Lake, located just south of the Henderson Mine on company land in Colorado.

Urad Lake is part of a reservoir system in Woods Creek Valley that through the decades has been a fresh water source for mining and municipal use, as well as a productive fishery.

The water and reservoir are owned by the City of Golden, and the land surrounding the lake are owned by Freeport-McMoRan. Historically a popular outdoor recreation site, by 2008 the lake had suffered severe overuse by the public.

In 2011, Freeport-McMoRan closed the property for an environmental mitigation project. During the closure, the mine, City of Golden and Colorado Parks and Wildlife were able to work out a three-party lease and management agreement transferring management of the property to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The mitigation project took two and half years to complete. During that time, Colorado Parks and Wildlife cleaned up the area, enhanced the fishery and developed the site as a new state wildlife area. The Henderson Mine provided in-kind support, manpower, engineering expertise and assistance in creating a new parking lot, the placement of entrance gates and litter clean up around the lake. The area was reopened to the public in June 2014.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife presented the Henderson Mine with the award at its annual Partners in the Outdoors conference and awards banquet. The conference brings together various stakeholders committed to developing, maintaining and preserving Colorado's outdoors and recreational opportunities.

For more information about Freeport-McMoRan’s reclamation projects, see http://www.fcx.com/sd/env/reclam.htm

Please see the 2013 Working Toward Sustainable Development Report for more information on all of their social, economic and environmental efforts.