University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) professor and former head of the U.S. Forest Service, Michael Dombeck, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Thursday, January 24, at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Dombeck is being asked to give his perspective on reforming U.S. mining law. He is presenting testimony on the need to reform the laws that govern mining of hard rock minerals from public lands on behalf of Trout Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, organizations that represent millions of outdoor enthusiasts, wildlife and fish professionals, and outdoor recreation-related businesses. The House of Representatives has just passed a mining reform bill.

"Mining is a legitimate use of public lands, but there are few laws more in need of an overhaul than the 1872 Mining Law," said Dombeck. "The 1872 Mining Law, signed into existence 135 years ago by President Ulysses Grant, is the most outdated natural resource law in the nation. Under the 1872 law, mining takes precedence over all other public land uses, including hunting and fishing. Our mining laws still reflect a time long past with a lack of balance toward the nation�s valued water and public land resources."

According to Dombeck, mining companies pay no royalties for hard rock minerals including gold, copper and zinc that belong to all citizens. It is estimated that since the 1872 Mining Law was enacted, the U.S. government has given away more than $245 billion of minerals through royalty-free mining and patenting.

"Professional resource managers at the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management need to have the ability to make science-based decisions about where and when mining on public land should occur. Without this discretion, professional land managers cannot maintain their commitments as stewards of the public trust," continued Dombeck.

Dombeck believes that any reform of the 1872 Mining Law should contain the following provisions:

Dombeck received his bachelor�s degree in biology and a master�s degree in biology and education from UWSP. He also received a master�s in zoology from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate in fisheries biology from Iowa State University.

A member of the College of Natural Resources faculty since 2001, Dombeck is a nationally renowned conservationist with over 25 years experience in managing federal lands and natural resources. Dombeck has focused much of his efforts on sustainable forest ecosystem management, watershed health and restoration, fisheries management, and countless public speaking engagements both nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of the prestigious Lady Bird Johnson Conservation Award, the Audubon Medal and the Distinguished Executive Award, the highest award in federal service.

A prolific author, Dombeck has authored, co-authored and edited over 200 scholarly and popular publications. Two of his personal works are "Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices" and "From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Lands Legacy." He has just co-authored, "The Business of the Conservation Nonprofit."

He led the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service from 1997 to April 2001 and the Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management from 1994 to 1997. Dombeck is the only person ever to have led the two largest land management agencies in the United States involving nearly 500 million acres of public lands.

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