National and international mining corporations have their eyes set on some of the wildest places in Montana and Idaho for “green energy” development. US Critical Materials and US Critical Metals Corporation—based in Vancouver, Canada—have announced their intent to “aggressively pursue development” of Sheep Creek in the Bitterroot National Forest, which sits at the head of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. The mining company will begin exploring a deposit of rare earth elements, citing rising demand for electric vehicles and other high-tech and household applications such as smartphones, televisions, and computers. The proposed mine site sits at the doorstep of Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, within the Allan Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area, all of which is a prime grizzly bear recovery corridor. The mine also is in the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, home to threatened bull trout and sensitive west-slope cutthroat trout. Early public involvement is critical. Our last remaining wild places cannot become sacrifice zones for mining. The Plan of Operations has not been submitted at this time, but you can still write to Bitterroot National Forest West Fork Ranger Dan Pliley and express your concerns about exploration and mining in this important wildlife corridor and the headwaters of the Bitterroot. Please send an email to Ranger Pliley sharing why this area is important to you, especially if you have first-hand experience in the West Fork of the Bitterroot. It’s important that you state in your email that you are submitting “Pre-scoping comments on the proposed Sheep Creek Mine Exploration” and ask Ranger Pliley to make your comments part of the official record. Also, consider sharing the following points: |
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- The Forest Service (FS) must address any impacts, or potential impacts, to the Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area, Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, and Allan Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area.
- Mining and associated development, blasting, and noise would disrupt a prime grizzly bear recovery corridor. Since grizzly bears are a threatened species protected under the Endangered Species Act, the FS must work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to address any impacts, or potential impacts, to grizzly bears.
- Mining would potentially harm water quality impacting both humans and wildlife, including bull trout and west-slope in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Since bull trout are a threatened species protected under the Endangered Species Act, the FS must work with the FWS to seriously assess impacts to bull trout.
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