The Stikine River and the nearby city of Wrangell are facing a renewed threat. The proposed Galore Creek Mine, across the border in British Columbia and in the Stikine River Watershed, has been stalled since 2008 but recently got a jolt back to life. As of July 2018, the proposed mine, similar in size to the proposed KSM and Pebble Mines, has received additional investment from the Newmont Mining Corporation. Should the project be developed, it would be an open-pit, acid-generating mine with the potential to contaminate water and threaten downstream communities and fish habitat.  Newmont has already proved dedicated to jumpstarting the mine, building access roads and bridges into the claims which are estimated as some of the largest gold, silver, and copper deposits in the world. The mining claims cover 290,000 acres and the mine is expected to last 20 years. During this time it would discharge treated wastewater into the Iskut River with untreated, potentially acidic water likely to leach into Galore Creek, both of which are part of the Stikine River Watershed.

Have you written the Forest Service to tell them to keep Roadless in the Tongass? The comment period closes THIS MONDAY so submit your comments today! The Roadless Rule protects inventoried roadless areas on all national forests from wasteful and harmful logging roads and is an important part of conservation here on the Tongass National Forest. To learn more about what has been going on, check out our recent Action Alert.