US | Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:48pm EDT

Oregon mine that summoned armed guards in land dispute files appeal

PORTLAND, ORE. | BY SHELBY SEBENS

(Reuters) - The owners of an Oregon gold mine who called in armed activists to protect their claim amid a bitter land use dispute with the U.S. government have appealed a federal stop-work order, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

But tensions remained high at the Sugar Pine Mine outside of Medford ahead of a planned protest later on Thursday over what mine supporters see as federal overreach, even as the owners insist they want to avoid a high-profile standoff.

"We appreciate and share the mining claimants’ interest in peacefully resolving the matter through the normal regulatory and administrative processes that are in place for such matter,” Bureau of Land Management spokesman Tom Gorey said in a statement, confirming the appeal had been received.

A spokesman for the miners, Kerby Jackson, confirmed paperwork had been filed to keep officials from "burning or breaking anything" on the property, but gave no more details.

Miners and supporters, some flocking from other states, would gather on Thursday at Oregon BLM offices, according to the conservative Oath Keepers activist network.

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