Kim Habicht, Peak to Peak.

Rocks have a reputation for being boring. Oftentimes, they’re undervalued, overlooked and ignored. Lindsey Maness, Jr. is leading an initiative aimed at reexamining the minerals buried underneath Colorado’s landscape, and providing local land-owners with resources to reopen old mines.

Maness has begun to coordinate community meetings and networks aimed at reopening mines in Colorado. At the first meeting that Maness orchestrated, at Georgetown Community Center on March 23, 2018, a few dozen geologists, consultants, lawyers and land-owners gathered and shared expertise and stories. Maness hopes that the creation of a network will link land-owners with the experts necessary to reassess mining prospects.

Maness has been involved in the local mining scene for decades, and mining has been in his family for five generations. His family began mining as soon as 1812, according to

Maness. He says that he has wanted to start this initiative for thirty years.

The local mining scene is often overlooked as a bygone relic of older times, most memorably the Gold Rush, of which Colorado is a byproduct. Maness is persistent in his belief that mining remains an important part of modern society.

“Society would not operate without mines. Especially high-tech things,” said Maness. He emphasized the minerals that aid military development, and “keep our boys and girls overseas safe.”

Maness believes that there are many patented mining claims in Clear Creek County, as well as surrounding counties, that could be profitable to owners if they knew what they were sitting on.

“I want people to know where to find information. People should get at least three competition bids on their mine and land before they choose what to do,” said Maness. “They shouldn’t spend their own money on an assessment.”

In addition to Maness, local consultants like Allan Juhas are engaged in the effort. Juhas took part in the community meeting at Georgetown Community Center in March that Maness organized. Juhas works internationally consulting on projects. His work has taken him to places like Afghanistan and Peru.

Paul Hintgen also lent his expertise to the meeting in March. Hintgen is the tour manager at the Capital Prize Gold Mine in Georgetown. The mine, which is still active, was established in 1860. According to Hintgen, the mine reaches 3,200 feet.

Before working at the mine, he owned a mine in Breckenridge, and worked with the Breckenridge Heritage Center. He used to live in Denver, but after growing tired of the drive on I-70, moved to Georgetown.

Hintgen is doing his part to encourage interest in mining. Tourists come to Georgetown to tour the mine and pan for gold.

“People love it because it’s the Wild West. It’s why Colorado is here, and why these towns showed up,” said Hintgen.

Maness is aware of community resistance to reopening mines. He said that many community members are worried about pollution. He maintains that reopening mines might be good for the area because mining techniques like heap-leaching can remove toxins like arsenic from the ground.

Maness is optimistic about the future of mining, at a time when public interest about the industry is dwindling.

“The majority of people will welcome prosperity,” he said.