Ravalli County Collaborative opposes Sheep Creek Mine

by Michael Howell

The Ravalli County Collaborative Committee, established in 2017 by the Ravalli County Commissioners to promote the wise use of natural resources and foster collaboration among local, state and federal agencies, has issued a strong position statement in opposition to the proposed Sheep Creek Mine.

“While we recognize the national discussion surrounding the need for critical minerals, we firmly believe that the pursuit of such resources must not come at the expense of permanently degrading our local ecosystems, community-chosen livelihoods and quality of life,” reads the recently released position statement. “The specific location of this mine on Sheep Creek presents an incompatible and unacceptable risk to our most valued assets.” 

The committee, composed of 15 members appointed by the commissioners, has been advising the county on natural resource issues for nine years and arrives at its recommendations through a consensus process.

In this case, they state, “Our position is clear and resolute. The RCC strongly urges the U.S. Forest Service (Bitterroot National Forest), the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and all relevant agencies to deny all permits for the Sheep Creek Mine proposal and calls upon our elected representatives at the county, state, and federal levels to actively oppose this project and to advocate for the permanent protection of the Sheep Creek watershed from industrial mineral development.” The RCC “stands ready to mobilize our collective resources, expertise, and unwavering commitment to ensure this project does not proceed.”

The committee found the risk to the valley’s water unacceptable, stating, “Sheep Creek is a pristine tributary feeding the Bitterroot River, the hydrological heart of our valley and economy… No mitigation technology can guarantee the protection of these waters for the centuries such pollution would persist. The health of our fisheries, the purity of our irrigation water, the safety of our drinking water, and the viability of our agriculture are too much to risk.”

They also found the proposed mine to be a direct threat to the valley’s economy, stating, “The Bitterroot’s economic drivers are agriculture, recreation, tourism, and the service sectors that support them. An industrial mine risks contaminating our brand as a healthy, scenic and livable valley, thereby jeopardizing the businesses and jobs that sustain our communities for the fleeting promise of a small number of mining jobs.”

Other values in the upper West Fork that would be affected include a vital wildlife corridor that “would likely fragment habitat and disrupt migration, undermining decades of regional conservation efforts” and also threatens critical Bull Trout habitat.

The proposed mine would also negatively impact the majority of locally provided services including, but not limited to: road and bridge infrastructure, law enforcement, education, medical, Search and Rescue, volunteer fire departments, wildland fire, and air quality. 

“The history of mining in the West is clear,” states the RCC. “Mine owners leave, passing on to communities and taxpayers the significant costs of perpetual water treatment and environmental remediation. The RCC has no confidence that financial assurances will be adequate to cover ‘forever’ liabilities. Ravalli County must not be forced into a gamble where our future generations and downstream users inherit a toxic burden.”

According to the RCC the Sheep Creek Mine proposal has been advanced “without the input or full knowledge of the people who call Ravalli County home” and contradicts the clearly expressed will of many residents who place a high priority on protecting watersheds, working lands, and wild places. 

Their statement concludes, “Some places are too valuable to degrade. Sheep Creek and the Bitterroot Valley are such places. We oppose this mine to protect the water, the economy, and the legacy of our valley. For the Bitterroot, For Our Future.”

Committee Chairperson Margaret Gorski said that coming to a consensus in the Bitterroot over natural resource issues in a committee with such a large and diverse membership has not been easy historically.

“But this was easy,” she said. “Everyone recognized the exploratory mining being proposed in the headwaters of the West Fork was of great concern and needed to be addressed. No one thought it was a good idea.”