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the green river valley & Mount St. Helens:
No Place For A Mine
fIGHTING A PROPOSED OPEN-PIT MINE IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT ST. HELENS (LAWETLAT'LA)
the Green River Valley alliance: A COALITION FIGHTING TO SAVE AN irreplaceable landscape
Since 2005, the Cascade Forest Conservancy and our partners have been working to protect the Green River Valley, near Mount St. Helens, from an open-pit hard rock mine. So far, we have stopped a series of permits for prospecting operations through lawsuits, coalition building, and advocacy. But, after each victory, our opponents filed new applications and received new permits. Fighting each new attempt to mine here won’t work forever. We need to protect this place from the threat of mining permanently.
The best way to do that is to secure a mineral withdrawal, a federal land management tool that prohibits mining activities within a set boundary. To accomplish our goal, CFC founded the Green River Valley Alliance campaign–a growing coalition of Tribes, businesses, organizations, and individuals working together to protect Mount St. Helens from mining for good!
Tell Congress you support a mineral withdrawal for the Green River Valley. Sign the Green River Valley Alliance’s petition today. Together we can ensure that Mount St. Helens and the Green River Valley are no place for a mine.
A mine in the Green River Valley would be:
A Threat to Water, Fish, and People
If the mine is built, polluted groundwater and potential tailing pond breaches of toxic mining waste would threaten the Green River and the life that depends on it. The Green River is an important habitat for many species, a gene bank for wild steelhead, and is eligible for a Wild and Scenic River designation. The Green River also flows into drinking water sources for thousands of people living along the North Fork Toutle River and Cowlitz River.
This area remains very seismically active, increasing the chances that a tailing pond breach will lead to a disaster for communities in SW Washington.​
A Threat to Recreation​
The construction of a mine in the Green River Valley would be a huge disappointment to the many hikers, cyclists, back-country horse riders, hunters, and anglers who come here to experience a beautiful and remote corner of the Cascades. Much of the area that would be impacted by mining was purchased by the Forest Service using funds designated to support conservation and recreation, but the mine would prevent or limit future recreation opportunities and negatively impact tourism, particularly in eastern Lewis County.​
A Threat to old-growth
The mine would destroy some of the only old-growth stands in the area that survived the irresponsible clear-cut logging practices of the 20th century and the 1980 eruption. It is vital for the health of our climate and the survival of many iconic NW species to preserve the remaining stands of old-growth in the Cascades before they are gone forever.​
SPEAK UP FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Since 1985, Cascade Forest Conservancy has been your voice speaking for the areas in and around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington. Join the 12,000 other members who support Cascade Forest Conservancy and are making a difference now.
News & Updates
A WIN-WIN FOR SALMON AND SW WASHINGTON COMMUNITIES
Working with the Department of Health, drinking water providers at Lewis County Public Works, and Lichen Land & Water, Cascade Forest Conservancy has been working for the last year to assess restoration potential in the Salmon Creek watershed. This is the Salmon Creek that flows into the Cowlitz River and serves as a drinking water...
ACTION ALERT: SPEAK UP FOR A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT THE NATION’S OLD-GROWTH
A Historic Opportunity The Biden Administration has taken several steps to combat climate change and advance environmental stewardship, including a number of steps to preserve the nation’s old-growth. On Earth Day, 2022, the Administration issued an Executive Order (EO) directing federal agencies to create a consistent definition for old-growth forests that accounted for regional...
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The Green River Valley & Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine
The Green River Valley & Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine
Our ongoing fight to stop a disasterous open-pit mine in the shadow of Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat'la)