Idaho's Mining Industry: 1994 - 1998
Mining and mineral processing continue to play an important role in Idaho's economic outlook. This report describes the value of mineral production, the wages and taxes paid, products and services purchased and the capital investment of Idaho's mining industry from 1994 to 1998.

MINERAL PRODUCTION:
During the five-year period Idaho produced and processed minerals valued at $4.8 billion.  Phosphate mining and processing accounted for $3,0 billion, 63 percent of the total.  Total gold production was valued at $419 million, molybdenum at $252 million and silver at $195 million.

Gold production continued to decline.  Production at Meridian Gold's Beartrack Mine, the state's only major operating gold mine, will cease in 2000.  No significant gold production is expected in the future until idled mines reopen or new mines begin production.

MINERAL PRODUCTION: 1994 - l998 (Millions of dollars)
  5 YEAR
  1994  1995 1996 1997 1998 TOTAL
PHOSPHATE $630 $569 $577 $584 $617 $2,977
GOLD 39 115 135 82 48 419
 MOLYBDENUM 29 80 48 55 40 252
SILVER 23 31 40 46 55 195
LEAD,ZINC,COPPER 12  14 19 21 21 87
OTHER 127 282 63 264 180 916
TOTAL $860 $1,091 $882 $1,052 $961 $4,846

EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES:
Workers in Idaho's mining industry earned $986 million in wages during the five-year period.  Average annual employment during that time was 5,116 workers.  The average worker earned over $41,000 in 1998.  This is more than four times the average annual wage earned in the tourism industry and 60 percent greater than the annual wage of the average Idaho worker.  If worker benefits such as health, dental, disability and life insurance are included the total earned by Idaho workers employed in the mining industry was nearly $1.3 billion over the five years.

MINING EMPLOYMENT: 1994 - l998
   5 YEAR
  1994  1995 1996 1997 1998 AVERAGE
MINING 2422 2725 3067 3068 2902 2837
PROCESSING 2121 2336 2321 2270 2349 2235
TOTAL 4543 5061 5388 5338 5251 5931
 
MINING WAGES: 1994 - l998 (Millions of Dollars)
  5 YEAR
  1994  1995 1996 1997 1998 TOTAL
MINING $84 $96 $110 $114 $112 $516
PROCESSING 81 94 92 99 104 470
TOTAL $165 $190 $202 $213  $216 $986

TAXES, FEES AND ROYALTIES:
The production and processing of minerals in Idaho generated $58 million in local and state taxes and fees and state, federal and tribal royalties during the five-year period.  About $32 million, 55 percent of the total, was in the form of royalties and $23 million, 41 percent of the total, in the form of property taxes.  The asessed value of the industry for property tax purposes was $542 million in 1998.  This total is greater than the total assessed values of 21 of Idaho's 44 counties.

MINING TAXES, FEES AND ROYALTIES 1994 – 1998 (Thousands of Dollars)
  5 YEAR
  1994  1995 1996 1997 1998 TOTAL
PROPERTY TAXES $4,548 $4,241 $4,596 $5,137 $4,942 $23,464
FEDERAL ROYALTIES* 5,418 5,034 4,997 4,534 5,695 25,678
STATE ROYALTIES 969 1,389 1,130 1,213 1,680 6,381
MINE LICENSE FEES 379 976 46 420 1,032 3,316
TOTAL $11,314 $11,173 $11,699 $11,304 $13,349 $57,911

PURCHASES AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT:
The industry purchased nearly $900 million of energy, supplies and services during the period 1994-1998.  In addition, nearly $600 million was invested in ldaho capital assets.  These purchases and investments have helped Idaho's mining industry become one of the most productive in the nation.

MINING PURCHASES AND CAPITAL INVESTMENTS: 1994 - l998 (Millions of dollars)
  5 YEAR
  1994  1995 1996 1997 1998 TOTAL
ENERGY $87 $99 $56 $49 $46 $337
SUPPLIES 95 73 111 57 28 364
SERVICES 42 58 13 34 31 178
TOTAL $224 $230 $180 $140 $105 $879
 
CAPITAL INVESTMENT $132 $90 $154 $45 $174 $595
SOURCE INFORMATION: Thanks to Fay Weber at the Idaho Mining Association for putting together the above summary of mining statistics for the Digital Atlas of Idaho.