HFWA Board Votes To Join The Clean Kilgore Coalition
On September 18th, the Henrys Fork Wildlife Alliance Board of Directors voted unanimously to join the Clean Kilgore Coalition led by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The goal of the coalition is to protect Idaho’s wildlife, water, and wildlife which are under threat by the expansion of a gold mine near Kilgore, ID.
The main concern with the proposed mine is the use of cyanide leaching which could easily leak into nearby Camas creek and into the Snake River aquifer effectively poisoning drinking water for 300,000 people as well as Idaho’s $20 billion agriculture economy.
The proposed Kilgore Mine Site poses many threats to both the people and wildlife who live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
What's The Need For A Coalition?
As of August 2023, the Federal District Court sided with the U.S. Forest Service and Excellon Resources, approving the continuation of mine exploration activities in Idaho’s Centennial Mountains. The mining company can now proceed with a five-year exploratory drilling project, which entails the construction of 10 miles of new roads, clearing 140 drill pads, drilling up to 420 exploration holes in the mountainsides above West Camas Creek and Corral Creek, and all the dust, sedimentation, and noise pollution that comes with operating drill pads 24 hours a day, seven days a week, six months a year, for five years.
The spectacular Centennial Mountain Range that divides eastern Idaho and Montana holds pristine waters of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, providing clean drinking water for families, farmers, and wildlife. About 60 miles west of Yellowstone National Park, drilling for an open-pit, heap-leach, cyanide gold mine is underway near the small town of Kilgore, Idaho, threatening to change this unspoiled piece of public land forever.
Protecting Idaho's Water, Wildlife, & Way of Life
The biggest threat the proposed mine brings is the contamination of surface and ground water through the use of cyanide leaching. The Project’s proximity to West Camas Creek and other headwater streams of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer makes it particularly risky; a mining accident here would cause an environmental disaster not only near the project site, but for miles downstream. The use of cyanide in open-pit, heap-leach, cyanide gold mining poses a special threat, not only because it never goes away, but also because it can be difficult to capture and treat once it has been released into the environment. Cyanide is so dangerous, the practice is banned next door in Montana.
The first species immediately effected by the degradation of water is the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, a species native to Idaho and designated as a “Sensitive Species” by the U.S. Forest Service. An open-pit, heap-leach, cyanide gold mine in the Centennials threatens critical habitat for deer, elk, grizzly bears, wolverines, Canada lynx, migratory birds, and many more species in conservation need.
The scenic beauty of open meadows, pine trees, flowing rivers in the centennial mountains would forever be changed by a an open-pit, heap-leach, cyanide gold mine. For generations, families have been coming to the small town of Kilgore, Idaho, to find solitude. One of the trailheads into the Centennial Mountains is here and it’s where ranchers graze their cattle. Outdoorsmen hike across the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, hunt big and small game species and fish from nearby creeks.
Action Is Needed
Without action, foreign-owned Excellon Resources will make this landscape unrecognizable. The financially unstable mining corporation has the go-ahead to build 10 miles of new roads, 140 drill pads, and 420 exploration drill holes on the mountainside above West Camas and Corral Creeks. The noise, dust, and carved-up mountains will permanently scar this piece of the Centennials.
As a member of the Clean Kilgore Coalition, we will continue to send regular updates about how our members can get involved to protect Idaho’s water, wildlife, and ways of life. For more information about the coalition and what steps we’re taking to protect our public lands, click the button below.
Learn More