Wild & Scenic Smith River Threatened
by Proposed Oregon Nickel Strip Mine
Urgent Action Needed / August 2014
A nickel strip mine has been proposed in Oregon’s North Fork Smith watershed. The proposed mine would be located southeast of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness within the Baldface Creek drainage and also in the adjacent headwaters of the wild and scenic Illinois River.
Serious threat to public drinking water: a mine as well as test drilling to support the project has significant potential to contaminate and impair the public drinking water of downstream communities in Del Norte County, CA including Gasquet, Hiouchi, and the City of Crescent City. Please see links below to their letters of opposition to the OR Water Resources Department (and local press) re an application for water to support test drilling for the project.
Baldface Creek is a significant spawning and rearing tributary for wild coho, Chinook salmon, and steelhead. In 1994, Baldface Creek and all of its tributaries were found eligible for addition to the National Wild and Scenic River System. The watershed is located in the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area, which was recommended for Wilderness status by the Bush Administration. The proposed mine area (map) is a known hot spot for coho salmon–an endangered species.
For more on the proposed mine read a recent story in the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate). Continue reading to see a Powerpoint presentation, Sacramento Bee Opinion, other materials and what you can do to help.
Take Action
Send an Email to your Representatives (See below)
Immediate action is needed to preserve this cherished botanical and recreation wonderland, and the rivers that flow through it, for present and future generations. SRA’s goal is to secure a mineral withdrawal to prevent this project – or any other mining claims from moving forward for the next 20 years.
The good news is Oregon’s Senator Wyden will introduce legislation to withdraw these public lands from mining. We need our California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to co-sponsor this legislation. We also need Congressmen Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson to help. They both know the Smith River and have been and can continue to be valuable partners in preventing this serious threat to wild trout, salmon, and the local communities who rely on the Smith River for their drinking water.
Email your Representatives
Please take a minute and send an email to your representatives urging them to continue protecting the Smith River. Email addresses and suggested copy are below.
Emails
Senator Feinstein
Senator Boxer
Congressman Huffman
Congressman Thompson
Suggested Copy
Dear Senator/Congressman:
Thank you for your outstanding partnership over the years to protect the Smith River in northern California. As you know, the Smith is one of our most treasured Wild and Scenic Rivers and it is also one of the premier “strongholds” for wild salmon and trout along the Pacific Coast.
I am contacting you to ask for your assistance to help prevent a foreign company from locating a strip mine in the headwaters of the Smith River and on adjacent lands in the headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Illinois River. Please work with Senator Wyden, Congressman DeFazio, and the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to see that these critically important trout and salmon habitat areas are never strip mined.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Thank YOU for your involvement!
The Smith River is one of the “crown jewels” of the National Wild and Scenic River System (over 300 miles included) and is the last major undammed river in California. It is also widely recognized as one of the premier “Salmon Strongholds” in the lower 48 states.
Most of the Smith River watershed is located in California and protected within the 460+ square mile Smith River National Recreation Area. The North Fork extends into Oregon and is protected as a Wild and Scenic River with its headwaters in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
For more information contact Smith River Alliance 916 715-9898 or grant@smithriveralliance.org
The Smith River Alliance works to provide for the long-term protection, restoration and stewardship of natural resources in the Smith River watershed.
Opposition Letters to the OR Water Resources Department
Posted August 13, 2014
City of Crescent City
County of Del Norte
CA North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife
CA Resources Agency
Group letter from 17 organizations
Gordon Lyford (retired water rights engineer)
Recent Press
Del Norte Triplicate, July 10 “No to mining”
Jefferson Public Radio, July 15 “OR Nickel Mine Proposal Runs Into Stiff Opposition”
Presentation
Hardrock Mining
Potential Impacts to Water, Wildlife, Air and Land
Powerpoint Presentation by Bonnie Gestring, Earthworks
Editorial
Click the image below to read an editorial about Baldface Creek and the proposed mine in the Sacramento Bee, written by Tim Palmer. PDF format.
