UPDATE, 5/10/07:

See also: Protect Mount St. Helens National Monument, from the Wilderness Society.

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Via Audubon:

Protect the Mt. St. Helens National Monument - Stop The Proposed Mine

The Bureau of Land Management recently released an Environmental Assessment outlining their preliminary decision to grant a lease to Idaho General Mines for a 3,000 acre mine site directly bordering Mt. St. Helens National Monument. Now is the time to let them know why this proposed mine is a bad idea and how it would affect a national treasure.

The value of this site for wildlife habitat has long been recognized. The lease area enters a designated Roadless Area, and encroaches on an ancient forest over 270 years old.

This is potential nesting habitat for the endangered Northern Spotted Owl and for several birds listed as ‘needing conservation’ on the 2004 Washington State of the Birds report including: Northern Goshawk, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Vaux’s Swift, and American Blackback Woodpecker. The effects on all these species from a mine—traffic, toxic dust, stream destruction, and so on—have not yet been assessed.

As more money and effort is expended, momentum will build to grant the mining company further leases to begin mining.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts audubon Mt. St. Helens national monument BLM Bureau of Land Management mine mining wildlife conservation the wilderness society