Tag Archives: mining

Online presentation on history of mining in the North Fork, July 14

Environmental Issues, History, News,
North Fork Flathead River
North Fork Flathead River

From a recent Montana Wilderness Association announcement . . .

Join MWA’s Flathead-Kootenai Chapter for the “History of Mining in North Fork Valley” on Tuesday, July 14 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Register here: https://p2a.co/gfGz2n0

Learn about the history of mining in the North Fork Valley with Jedd Sankar-Gorton

There was a nearly 60-year international struggle between mining companies and environmental advocates over the coal deposit at the headwaters of the North Fork and Flathead River.

After all was said and done, Canada and the United States agreed to remove mining rights from the basin forever.

If you’d like to learn more about the long history of environmental advocacy and coal in the international Flathead River Basin, tune in to Jedd Sankar-Gorton’s virtual event on Tuesday, July 14 from 3-4 p.m.

Join MWA’s Flathead-Kootenai Chapter for the “History of Mining in North Fork Valley” on Tuesday, July 14 from 3 to 4 p.m.
Learn about the history of mining in the North Fork Valley with Jedd Sankar-Gorton

There was a nearly 60-year international struggle between mining companies and environmental advocates over the coal deposit at the headwaters of the North Fork and Flathead River.

After all was said and done, Canada and the United States agreed to remove mining rights from the basin forever.

If you’d like to learn more about the long history of environmental advocacy and coal in the international Flathead River Basin, tune in to Jedd Sankar-Gorton’s virtual event on Tuesday, July 14 from 3-4 p.m.

Register here: https://p2a.co/gfGz2n0

New U.S. spending bill requires scrutiny of Kootenai Watershed issues

Environmental Issues, News, ,
Kootenai River
Kootenai River

A provision in the recent federal budget bill requires the EPA to get off the dime and work with U.S. and Canadian agencies to do something about mining waste in the Kootenai Watershed . . .

Stemming the flow of dangerous mining contaminants spilling from Canada into the Kootenai River watershed was listed as a priority in the 2,232-page government-spending bill signed by President Donald Trump, marking a hard-won victory for advocates of the endangered river and the communities it supports.

Inclusion of the beleaguered river system in the massive spending bill is another in a recent series of significant steps toward tackling a decade-long problem brewing in the transboundary Kootenai River watershed, where toxic contaminants leaching from upstream Canadian coal mines in the Elk River Valley of British Columbia continue to threaten Montana’s prized aquatic ecosystems.

Spearheading the latest charge to bring attention to the Kootenai is U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, who helped draft the annual budget bill as a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, and who for years has been mounting pressure on the U.S. and B.C. governments to develop a bilateral water quality standard for mining contaminants, including selenium, sulfates and nitrates.

Read more . . .

North Fork protection may come as a treaty

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , ,

From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . .

A deal to permanently protect the North Fork of the Flathead from mining and energy exploration could ultimately be resolved in a treaty between the two countries.

President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday that they were directing their federal agencies to look at ways of solidifying a deal struck between Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Prime Minister Gordon Campbell in February.

Read the full article . . .

B.C. Premier Campbell & Montana Gov. Schweitzer sign agreement banning mining & energy development in Flathead basin

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

They did it. In the promised follow-up to last week’s announcement that British Columbia was halting all resource extraction activities in the Canadian Flathead, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer met today in Vancouver, B. C. to sign an agreement banning mining and energy development throughout the transboundary Flathead Valley.

The Missoulian has the best coverage . . .

With an exchange of bolo ties and Olympic mittens, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell signed an agreement in Vancouver to ban mineral and energy extraction in the cross-border Flathead River Basin on Thursday morning.

“I’m not taking credit for this,” Schweitzer said after the ceremony. “There are people who’ve spent their lifetime working on this goal. I’ve run one lap. And now I’m handing the baton along to the congressional delegation. They have a tall order to convince their colleagues this is the right thing and the right time to do it.”

Read the full article . . .

For those of you who like to read source documents, here is the full text of the “Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on Environmental Protection, Climate Action and Energy” signed today by Premier Campbell and Governor Schweitzer and witnessed by Kathryn Teneese, Chair of Ktunaxa Nation Council and Michel Kenmille, Council Member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Watch and wait: Few details yet on Canadian Flathead mining ban

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From today’s Missoulian comes a must-read discussion of what’s not being said about the recent announcement of a mining ban in the Canadian Flathead watershed . . .

To sense the delicacy of an international mining ban along the North Fork of the Flathead River, it helps to hear what isn’t being said.

Read the full article . . .

Note: We’ve also posted the February 9th “Flathead Watershed Area Order” that triggered all the excitement and discussion.

Baucus & Tester plan legislation banning mining & energy development in North Fork

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Not to be outdone by the folks north of the 49th parallel, U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester will introduce legislation banning mining and energy development on federal lands in the North Fork Flathead drainage.

The Missoulian has the story . . .

Two days after British Columbia placed the area north of Glacier National Park off limits to mining, Montana’s leadership announced it would do the same on federal lands here.

“We need to show the Canadians we’re working in good faith on our side of the border, as well,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

Read the entire article . . .

BC government signs order banning resource extraction activity in Canadian Flathead

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The government of British Columbia has signed an order that apparently bans mining and other resource extraction activity in the Canadian Flathead watershed. The Missoulian has a good write-up, including a map . . .

British Columbia’s government has formalized its promise to protect wildlands north of Glacier National Park, signing a legislative order that effectively bans mining in the Canadian Flathead.

Called the Flathead Watershed Area Order, the law signed Tuesday completely reverses a longstanding land-use plan for the area, which gave drilling and mining primacy over all other uses.

Read the entire article . . .

Flathead Wild: UN Report calls for ban on Flathead mining

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

The folks at Flathead Wild posted a good summary of the high points of the UNESCO World Heritage report on threats to Waterton-Glacier Park, along with links to major press coverage — both print and video.

Here’s the lead-in . . .

Great news for Friends of the Flathead! A UNESCO World Heritage report is recommending a permanent prohibition on mining in the Flathead River Valley. And that a single conservation and wildlife management plan be developed for the entire trans-boundary Flathead region.

The report also says the adjacent Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park should be declared a World Heritage Site in Danger if plans proceed for a controversial Flathead coal strip mine.

Read the entire article . . .

UN scientists call for end to mining in Canadian Flathead

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

This week’s Hungry Horse News has a decent write-up on the UN World Heritage Committee scientific mission report on threats to Waterton-Glacier Park . . .

Scientists from the United Nations are calling for a moratorium on mining in the Canadian Flathead, just north of Glacier National Park.

Last fall Paul Dingwall, a New Zealand scientist with the World Conservation Union and the World Wide Fund for Nature, and Keshore Rao, deputy director of the United Nation’s World Heritage Center, toured Glacier and Waterton Parks as well as the Canadian Flathead. They wanted to see for themselves the potential impacts of proposed coal, coal bed methane and gold mines in Canada on the Park.

“Their basic conclusion is they have no doubt that mining is incompatible,” with the park, said Stephen Morris, chief of international affairs for the National Parks Service.

Read the entire article . . .

Presentation on mining’s threat to Flathead water quality on Feb 9th in Polson

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From yesterday’s Missoulian . . .

University of Montana professor Ric Hauer will discuss threats to the water quality of Flathead Lake and the Flathead River at the next program sponsored by the Mission Mountain Audubon Society.

“Pristine waters and biodiversity threatened in the North Fork Flathead River” will be the subject of Hauer’s talk Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Polson City Library meeting room. The public is welcome to attend.

Read the entire article . . .

[Trivia department: For those of you who follow us on Twitter, this post generated our 100th “tweet.” Are we fashion-forward or what?]