Delegation to D.C. on behalf of Hecla mines encouraged by response

One of six community representatives from Lincoln County that went to Washington, D.C. July 25 to ask federal agencies to approve the evaluation phase of Hecla Mining Company’s Montanore and Rock Creek mines was encouraged by the response the delegation received.

“The agencies heard our concerns about moving forward as quickly as possible and promised to do what was needed ... to move forward on evaluation phases of Montanore and Rock Creek (mines),” Bruce Vincent of Environomics said via email.

In a meeting with Rep. Greg Gianforte July 5 in Libby, Hecla Mining Company officials raised concerns that part of the holdup in the permitting process was due to insufficient staffing at the Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, two federal agencies whose actions and decisions play critical roles in mining development. One of the delegation’s goals was to urge officials to put the proper resources in place for timely decisions.

“We knew that the voice of the people impacted by the decisions of our federal land managing ‘partners’ was critical in getting the people within those agencies to understand the need to move forward quickly,” Vincent wrote. “Our area’s families, schools, businesses and economic future is inherently tied to the success of the agencies in getting their jobs done.”

Noting that “speed of government” concerns were nothing new to either Northwest Montana in general or these mining projects in particular, Vincent said the delegation “having specific items identified — staffing, moving forward on an evaluation phase for Montanaore — that would assist our local federal agencies in getting their work done in months and not years was critical and well received,” as was “having those action items carried forward by folks who are impacted by the managing agencies decisions.”

Vincent characterized the delegation — Vincent, along with Libby Public Schools Superintendent Craig Barringer, Lincoln County Commissioner Jerry Bennett, Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker, Kootenai River Development Council Executive Director Tina Oliphant, and W. F. Morrison Elementary Principal Diane Rewerts — as “an outstanding cross-section of the local citizenry and each one of them did an incredible job of telling the story of our area and the importance of these two projects.”

Vincent said after the group returned to Libby it heard that the Forest Service and Department of the Interior began responding to its concerns “immediately after our meetings.”

In a statement provided to The Western News, Sen. Jon Tester said “Following our meeting, I contacted the Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service and they are working to increase manpower and conduct their reviews quickly and efficiently and I plan to hold them to that.”

Sen. Steve Daines reported that “I made it clear to community leaders that I will do everything I can to get them moving and bring these good-paying mining jobs to Western Montana.”

Vincent said the delegation would “follow-up with the agencies and assist where needed in order to assure that promises that were made are being kept.”

The delegation will discuss its visit at the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce lunch on Aug. 9 and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. that evening in the Fjord Room at the Venture Inn.