West Fork Neighbors Alliance · Ravalli County, Montana

Objection to the Proposed Mine at Sheep Creek

Every signature from a West Fork neighbor strengthens our voice. Add your info and sign the Open Letter below.

An Open Letter from the Residents of the West Fork

To our elected officials in Ravalli County, the State of Montana and Washington DC:

We are the residents of the West Fork of the Bitterroot. We work in all trades. We range the political spectrum. Some of us have been here for generations. Some of us came more recently. Our stories may be different, but our love for this place is the same.

A company called U.S. Critical Materials is seeking to explore for rare earth minerals at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Exploration is the first step toward a mine. This watershed is our lifeblood. It is the water we drink, the water in our homes and the river we fish, float and raise our children beside. We do not want this mine.

We are not anti-mining. We understand the United States has a strategic need for rare earth minerals. But the risks to our health and our safety are too great for us to support this project here.

We ask that you:

State publicly that you oppose a rare earth mine at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot.
Urge the U.S. Forest Service and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to require full environmental review, with public notice and comment at every stage, before approving any further exploration or development at Sheep Creek, and to reject the use of categorical exclusions for this project.
Come to the West Fork. Hold a public meeting here, with us, before any further approvals are granted.

Thank you,
The West Fork Neighbors Alliance

Add your name to this letter!

We will publish the list of signers soon. We will publish only your first name and last initial — nothing else. The address collection is only to verify you live in the West Fork neighborhood.

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(We will keep your address private — this is just to verify that you indeed live in the West Fork.)

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May we list your name on the public list of signers?

We show only your first name and last initial — never your address, phone, or email.

Yes, display my first name and last initial.

No, do not publish my first name and last initial.

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By signing, you agree to add your name to the letter above.