Stay Out Stay Alive is a public awareness campaign, created by a collection of mining experts and enthusiasts to provide the public with accurate information about abandoned mines, as well as lifesaving mine safety techniques.
“Stay Out Stay Alive” was originally a slogan popularized by the Bureau of Land Management’s long-running campaign, which relies heavily on scare tactics to keep people away from abandoned mine sites on federally controlled land. Today, we are reclaiming the phrase, “Stay Out Stay Alive,” as we work to dispel the years of misinformation the original campaign has tried to instill in Americans.
Stay Out Stay Alive exists for those who do not want to see the government destroy historic mine sites. For as long as mining has existed, a dedicated subculture of adventurers has been slipping underground to see unearthly tunnels lined with sparkling crystals, century-old graffiti, and caverns that open in the earth like buried ballrooms.
Simply asking the public to stay away from abandoned mines is not enough, and it never has been. Underground tunnels have always sparked curiosity, and they will continue to do so for as long as they exist. The answer is not to backfill every single one of America’s 500,000 abandoned mines, but to provide the public with a better understanding of the risks of exploring mines without proper training and equipment can pose.
Going forward, arming the public with a knowledge of mining safety techniques will be the most effective and efficient way to protect people and preserve mining sites.