On guns, the plan states, "Obama believes that we can protect the rights of hunters and other lawful gun owners while still working to reduce gun violence."

Questions during the conference call revolved around legislation sponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., that would for the first time alter federal mining laws enacted in 1872 and require hard-rock mining companies to pay royalties on the public lands they use.

Environmental groups support the legislation, but rural Nevada, which depends heavily on gold mining for its economic base, is deeply jittery about it. Obama said he will join Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in seeking legislation to update the old law but also "provide greater business certainty for the mining industry and the communities that depend on it."

Compromise legislation should include "fair" compensation for use of federal lands and should ensure that abandoned mine sites get cleaned up, Obama said. Rahall's bill would impose an 8 percent royalty on the gross proceeds of new hard-rock mines and a 4 percent tax on existing mines.

Asked about using bonds to make sure mine-site cleanup is done, Obama said, "I think that it's important for mining operators to be responsible stewards of the land. I am not wedded to bonds as the only way to ensure that that happens, but I think it's important that mining operators aren't able to simply engage in practices that over time can devastate surrounding communities."

Nevada has the world's fourth largest gold-mining economy, after South Africa, Australia and China.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.