Missoula County backs Ravalli County in Sheep Creek mine review
Martin Kidston
(Missoula Current) Missoula County this week joined Ravalli County in asking the U.S. Forest Service to require a deeper environmental review on the proposed Sheep Creek Mine near Darby.
In a letter to the West Fork Range District, the county asked it to reject the categorical exclusion recommended for the mine and instead require a traditional environmental review for the project.
The mine is proposed on Bitterroot National Forest near the headwaters of the Bitterroot River. Missoula County officials said Ravalli County requested assistance in attempting to sway the Forest Service.
“While the mine would not be located in Missoula County, its proposed location at the headwaters of the Bitterroot River would have downstream effects on the Bitterroot and Clark Fork rivers, vital water resources for several of our communities and critical tributaries in the greater Columbia River basin,” Missoula County wrote in its letter.
The Bitterroot National Forest in July released the most recent proposed plan of operations that US Critical Minerals Corp. submitted for its mineral exploration near Sheep Creek.
The company plans to drill at several locations, including the use of explosives. Drilling will also require thousands of gallons of water daily brought in from an outside source.
The mine is one of several in Montana to receive FAST Act permitting. The move fast-tracks mineral mining projects by limiting environmental review and reducing permitting requirements. That has resulted in widespread opposition to the Sheep Creek project.
Missoula County commissioners said they share the concerns expressed by Ravalli County commissioners including water quality and supply; ecological, agricultural and wildlife impacts; impacts to the recreation and tourism economies; and concerns related to public health and safety.
“We respectfully request that the Forest Service reconsider the recommendation for a categorical exclusion and instead pursue a more thorough analysis through an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement,” the county wrote.