Protect Smith River From Mining
Check out this great link on protecting California’s/Oregon’s Smith River from mining.
From Trout Unlimited and Wild Steelheader:
Tell the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to protect salmon and steelhead streams in southwest Oregon and northern California from large-scale strip mines
What’s the issue?
Two companies, (one foreign owned) have been working to develop surface strip nickel mines in an area that would threaten Rough and Ready Creek (a tributary to the Illinois River and world famous Rogue river) and Bald Face Creek (a tributary to the North Fork Smith and big native steelhead producing Smith river). Other important rivers threatened by proposed mining operations include Hunter Creek and Pistol River.
These mines would sprawl over thousands of acres, putting both land and water resources at high risk.
Sportsmen and other stakeholders from both California and Oregon have expressed strong opposition to the idea of yet another major mining mess to clean up and in response, members of Congress from each state have introduced bills to permanently protect the areas in question.
However, those bills could take years to become law. In the meantime, the BLM has proposed a temporary withdrawal of the area from new mineral claims. But the agency needs to hear that sportsmen support the mineral withdrawal.
