Doe Run Completes Land Exchange with U.S. Forest Service

Swap will allow both parties to better manage land holdings in Southeast Missouri

St. Louis (Issues Wire / PRWEB) February 19, 2008 -- The Doe Run Company recently completed a land exchange with the United States Forest Service on the Mark Twain National Forest. The exchange will help the company better manage its mine tailings areas and, in turn, provide the Forest Service with riverfront property and land near the Belle Mountain Wilderness in southeast Missouri. Don Taylor, Doe Run's vice president of exploration, said the land exchange is an agreement that will have long-term benefits for all involved.

"Preserving land in areas where we operate is an example of Doe Run's commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible use of resources. The land exchange, which has been in the works for the past several years, will help us better manage our nearby tailings areas, while also helping the United States Forest Service," he said.

The exchange will also reduce our cost of maintaining landlines, corner markers and surveys by reducing ownership boundaries by 36 percent.

Prior to completing the exchange on Feb. 8, Doe Run worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency on a plan to protect the Indiana bat, an endangered species that often nests in the area. Doe Run will be strategically trimming trees to discourage nesting near the tailings areas.

In the land exchange, the Forest Service will transfer to Doe Run 438 acres of federal land surrounding the existing West Fork and Brushy Creek tailings ponds. The parcels being received by Doe Run are adjacent to existing company land. Doe Run will transfer 441 acres of non-federal lands with highway frontage adjacent to Bell Mountain Wilderness Area and river frontage along the West Fork of the Black River.

According to Taylor, the project represents an equal value exchange that will also benefit the Forest Service by consolidating federal land holdings, thereby improving management and reducing the number of isolated pieces of land, while also providing additional land for public recreation and wildlife habitat.

"These lands are key tracts for nearby wilderness areas, recreation activities, watershed protection and riparian and wildlife habitat," said Paul Strong, acting Mark Twain National Forest supervisor. "The exchange will also reduce our cost of maintaining landlines, corner markers and surveys by reducing ownership boundaries by 36 percent."

For more on Mark Twain National Forest, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/.

Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company and the largest integrated lead producer in the Western Hemisphere. Dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral and metal production, Doe Run operates the world's largest, single-site lead recycling facility, located in Boss, Mo. The Doe Run Company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services necessary to provide power, protection and convenience. Doe Run has operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona. For more information, visit www.doerun.com.

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