Sheridan County Commissioners Approve Quarry Southwest of Sheridan

A Sheridan County resident has been given permission to quarry part of his own land.

At last week’s Sheridan County Commissioners Meeting, commissioners approved a permit for William Cameron Forbes and Mullinax Incorporated to operate a gravel and sand quarry on Forbes’ property off of Big Goose Road, and northwest of the Sheridan County Airport.

The affected area is about 164 acres within the 1,675 acre property, and access to the quarry would be provided by a private gravel haul road, which has already been approved by WYDOT.

Many residents near the area voiced their concerns about issues such as noise, dust, and operating hours, as well as scenery, environmental and property value impacts.

Nathan Mullinax of Mullinax Incorporated addressed those concerns and explained how the project can be mutually beneficial to the county, and to Forbes.

“It’s a substantial resource for the county, the landlord has the right to mine his own property and develop it and create revenue there. It’s best if any subdivision or anybody in the future knows that it’s going to be there for a very long time. I think it’s our responsibility to kind of put that out there.”

The request was for a 30-year permit, but the commissioners unanimously agreed on a 10-year permit instead, so the issue can be revisited if needed.