Colorado Group Proposes Reopening Four Historic Baker County Mines, Could Bring Jobs

A Colorado based group managed by mining engineer Mike Werner filed a pre application notice on December 30, 2025 seeking to restart underground mining on four historic claims in the Bourne area north of Sumpter. The proposal targets the North Pole, Eureka, Excelsior and Columbia mines, and encompasses roughly 1,575 acres of private land including patented claims on the North Pole Columbia Lode, a formation that produced a large share of Oregon s 19th and early 20th century gold.

Project proponents estimate the operation could employ about 50 to 80 workers on two shifts, and that annual local spending related to the mine and mill could total approximately 45 million dollars. Those figures suggest a meaningful infusion of wages and procurement for Baker County if the program advances beyond permitting into construction and operations.

The developers describe a processing plan that would limit direct environmental discharge at the proposed mill site by concentrating ore on site and shipping the concentrate out of state for final processing. The filing notes that modern methods would be used to control discharges at the mill, but that state permitting will be required. Officials expect reviews and permits from the state geology agency could take years before any ground work begins.

Local geologists familiar with the region say the North Pole Columbia Lode has continuing potential based on historic production and subsequent exploration, though any modern estimate of recoverable resources will depend on extensive sampling, drilling and metallurgical testing under contemporary regulatory standards. Past exploration and mining in the area established the lode as one of the most productive in Oregon during the gold rush era, but much of the work was completed under far different environmental and ownership regimes.

For Baker County residents the proposal presents a mixture of economic opportunity and long term questions. Potential benefits include new payrolls, contractor work and secondary spending that can support local service businesses. Potential costs include increased heavy vehicle traffic, changes to land use, and concerns about water and landscape impacts that typically accompany underground and milling operations. The permitting timeline will allow for detailed environmental reviews, public comment and local input on mitigation measures and conditions.

As the filings move into the formal permitting sequence, county officials and residents will be watching how technical studies, regulatory safeguards and community planning shape whether the historic lode becomes an active economic asset once again.