(Missoula, MT) — Nearly two-dozen environmental groups are calling on the U.S. Forest Service to reject a controversial mining proposal near the Bitterroot River. A group of 21 conservation organizations have signed a letter to the Forest Service regarding the Sheep Creek project proposal. The letter accuses U.S. Critical Materials of presenting a “bad faith” proposal for the mining plan while trying to pass it off as an “exploration” plan. The proposal involves mining for rare earth minerals near the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River south of Darby. Critics are expressing concern over the project’s environmental impact. The Trump administration recently added the project to a list to be fast-tracked for federal review.
