GUEST COLUMN: We must take advantage of the opportunities mining can provide

As Washington leaders continue to debate our nation’s economic future, educated and qualified young adults here in Colorado and throughout the nation are hungry for well-paying jobs. I enrolled in the Colorado School of Mines in 2008 during an economic crisis. Yet, as I prepare to enter an arguably unchanged economy as a 2012 graduate, I remain hopeful for the tremendous opportunities mining brings — not just in my field, but throughout the economy.

While the natural resources of the Rockies have always fascinated me, I was also drawn to mining’s track record of job stability. Despite a suffering economy, mining has steadily added thousands of jobs since 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and as older workers retire over the next five to 10 years, an estimated 55,000 mining jobs will need to be filled.

The minerals produced by miners support industries around the country; ores and metals are utilized in the production of capital goods for manufacturing and construction, and non-metallic minerals are used as fertilizers and in medicines. Cutting-edge electronics, telecommunication processes, and military equipment also depend on a range of minerals. Sectors across the economy use mineral raw materials to produce goods, services and infrastructure integral to our way of life, and help generate revenue.

However, as I gain hands-on experience in safely mining these critical resources, $5.1 billion worth of minerals are still being imported from foreign countries like China — even while $6.2 trillion worth of minerals sit untouched in U.S. areas like Colorado.

Unnecessary permitting delays have long deterred investors from supporting U.S. mining projects that would create jobs and increase our minerals supply. It makes little business sense to fund a project that wouldn’t begin operating — or yield a return on investment — for up to a decade. We are sending money and jobs overseas and ignoring obvious ways in which domestic minerals mining can stimulate our economy.

My peers and I have invested a great deal of money, time and effort in a field that we believe is critical to American innovation and is already a strong contributor to the economy. Now, we want to see it grow for the benefit of all.

Rather than imposing billions of dollars in absurd mining taxes to meet budget gaps, we want Washington leaders to work with mining companies to understand the value of our country’s minerals resources. We want our leaders to encourage education of America’s youth in fields related to the earth resources industry.

Rep. Doug Lamborn has proposed the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011, which seeks a comprehensive assessment of our nation’s minerals needs, and the identification of ways to better meet those needs with domestic resources.

In July 2011, the bill passed the House Natural Resources Committee with unanimous bipartisan approval, but to keep this momentum going and move our nation forward, my generation of U.S. miners will need more support.

It’s time other leaders made smart decisions that encourage domestic minerals development, and invest in the futures of young professionals like myself.

Grace Bernard is a soon-to-be graduate of the Colorado School of Mines