The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is threatened by not one, but two proposed gold mines - one on the very border of Yellowstone National Park within eye-shot of the Roosevelt Arch.
The local community, hundreds of Montana businesses, and thousands of people across the country came together last year to protect Yellowstone's gateway communities, wildlife, and the Yellowstone River from the potentially devastating environmental impacts of industrial gold mining.
The U.S. Forest Service heard our concerns and granted a temporary time-out on mining on our public lands in both mining districts. Now we need your help to make it permanent!
We need your help to demonstrate that Yellowstone National Park is more valuable than gold. Please sign this petition now and let the U.S. Forest Service know that you support protecting the public lands on Yellowstone’s doorstep from industrial mining.
Dear Forest Supervisor Mary Erickson:
Re: Federal Register Vol. 81, no. 225, November 22, 2016, notice MTM 109072
I support withdrawing the 30,370 acres of lands in the Emigrant/Crevice area (in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Park Co, Montana) from location and entry under the US mining laws.
Mineral withdrawal on our National Forest is a thoughtful solution that respects private property rights, while preserving and protecting the scenic integrity, wildlife corridors, and high quality recreation values of the Emigrant and Crevice areas within the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Park County, Montana.
Thank you for providing the opportunity for the local community, and all Americans, to weigh-in on how best to use our public lands on the doorsteps to Yellowstone. Mineral withdrawal will insure that our rivers, our forests, our wildlife corridors, and our local economy that depends on clean water, abundant wildlife and scenic vistas will be protected for future generations. Without the withdrawal, the General Mining Act of 1872 allows foreign mining companies to stake claims on our public lands. The 1872 mining law allows the rights of mining companies – no matter how insolvent, obscure, or far-off – to supersede the rights of the local community and businesses, that may not agree that mining is the best and highest use of the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
The proximity to Yellowstone National Park of the Crevice/Emigrant reinforces the importance of this part of the Custer Gallatin National Forest to a diversity of North American wildlife and their capacity to migrate safely into and out of America’s first National Park.
These critical public lands also fuel the local economy. In 2014, Park County saw $196 million in non-resident tourism revenues – fishing alone brings this county $70 million per year. The local community asked for this time-out because they don’t see any benefit from two industrial gold mines that have the full potential to endanger the natural environment and water resources on which their way of life and businesses thrive.
Again, I support the withdrawal and thank the U.S. Forest service for providing an open and transparent process to evaluate the best and highest uses of our public lands on the doorsteps to Yellowstone. Thank you for listening to not only my voice, but the many voices of the local community who asked for this solution to protect these lands from industrial mining, and thank you for giving all Americans the same opportunity.
