Sign the petition below to stop damaging exploration activities for the Sheep Creek mine at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River within wildlife rich wildlands of western Montana. This is only the first step in stopping the mine. We will send updates when your voice is needed again during public comment periods.

Dear Ranger Pliley (USFS), Garret Smith (MT DEQ), and Eric Dahngren (MT DEQ).

We, the undersigned, urge you to deny any and all exploratory drilling permits/plans and all mining activities at Sheep Creek. 

What is at stake: Canadian company US Critical Materials is proposing exploration of a rare earth element deposit at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. This area is home to threatened wolverine, lynx, bull trout, and white bark pine. It supports wildlife including bighorn sheep, bear, elk, and moose. A large portion of the claim block is in the Allan Mountain Roadless Area, a key wildland link providing connectivity and intact habitat for wildlife as they move in and out of neighboring Wilderness. It also provides quality denning habitat for grizzly bears making their way to the Bitterroot grizzly bear Recovery Area. The West Fork of the Bitterroot River is officially designated critical habitat for threatened bull trout. The waters above the Painted Rocks Dam are refuge for a pure strain of cutthroat trout. 

Why we are concerned. Both the West Fork and the Bitterroot are at the heart of a sustainable, local, fishing economy. They also support local agriculture and countless communities. A Canadian company should not be allowed to destroy our Montana way of life.

Is it a scam? They could just be mining for investors and subsidies. Several government agencies have provided US and MT taxpayer paid support for the Canadian US Critical Materials corporation project. Mining companies also have a long track record of declaring bankruptcy and leaving Montana taxpayers with costly remediation.

The US Critical Materials website boasts about carbonatites containing high-grade rare earth elements ore in the Sheep Creek claim block. But they have found no evidence of a deposit large enough to be economically feasible. 

Projected extensive exploration drilling includes re-constructing old roads, bulldozing new roads and drill pads, and hauling, storing, and using drilling chemicals. The US Critical Minerals website posted and then removed their 2024 “exploration program” which said, “Core drilling will be conducted from as many as ten sites with each site designed to accommodate multiple drill holes. …strategy will be to drill relatively shallow holes first to establish dips with deeper holes ... Maximum depth penetration will be in the range of 500-700 feet.” A screen shot of the post is available here.

Possible impacts: Though US Critical Materials assures us the deposits have “low levels of thorium” a radioactive element, their calculations are averages; some areas have high levels of thorium. Radioactivity should concern hunters, anglers, and local communities.

Exploration drilling requires water. There is none to spare. The nearby Painted Rocks Reservoir releases water late in the season to support adequate flow in the West Fork, needed to ensure the persistence of bull trout and to support the local fishing industry. Chemicals used for drilling could pollute the river and drill roads create sediment that can enter streams harming native trout and fishing.

Roadless areas provide secure connectivity corridors for wildlife as they migrate or expand their range. The Allan Mountain Roadless Area connects to other protected, intact areas and pristine Wilderness allowing secure travel for wildlife. Building roads and drill pads would fragment this oasis for animals like bears, wolverine, lynx, elk, and moose. 

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION. Your signature demonstrates your opposition to exploration drilling that could lead to a mine at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Protect the Bitterroot River and the communities, wildlife, and fish that rely on it. 

SHARE THIS PETITION with friends, family, and colleagues who live or recreate in Montana.

BE READY to write comments during the public comment period. We will provide ideas for talking points and show you where and how to comment with updates for this petition.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Sheep Creek Mine, click  here.