Northwest Mining Association

2005 Industry Partnership Award

The Northwest Mining Association (NWMA) was founded in Spokane, Washington, in 1895 as a reaction to the encroachments of the railroad land grants upon the mineral lands in the Pacific Northwest. By 1909, the Association’s voice expanded to include participation in national mineral policy issues, providing information to its membership on practical mining matters, and supporting and promoting the minerals industry throughout the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, as well as the Canadian provinces and territories of Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Today, many say, "The only thing northwest about NWMA is its name and the location of its office", as the Association and its members are actively involved in exploration, mining operations, and reclamation/closure activities throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. NWMA serves also as the state mining association for Oregon and Washington states. The Association’s purpose is to support and advance the mineral resource and related industries, to represent and inform its members on technical, legislative and regulatory issues, to provide for the dissemination of educational materials related to mining, to foster and promote economic opportunity and environmentally responsible mining, and to protect access to public lands for mineral exploration and development. In performing these purposes, the Association has become the nationally recognized voice for the exploration sector and has a proven track record of successfully influencing the outcome of political dialogue.

The Association is now a recognized leader in building coalitions with other groups representing natural resource producers and people interested in the multiple-use of public lands. It continues to work closely with the National Mining Association, state mining associations, provincial and regional mining associations throughout Canada, and professional organizations including the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America (MMSA) and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME).  In October 1998, NWMA became the first mining association to adopt a Statement of Environmental Principles. In 2004, the Association received two leadership awards from the federal land management agencies. The United States Forest Service presented the Association with a silver medallion in recognition of NWMA as a strong, reasonable, knowledgeable and fair advocate for the domestic mining industry. The Bureau of Land Management presented NWMA with its "Sustainable Development Award" recognizing the Association’s efforts for mining and sustainable development.

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