The Mountaineers
The campaign to safeguard the Methow Valley from mining continues to fire on all cylinders. On March 7, Senators Cantwell and Murray introduced the Methow Headwaters Protection Act of 2017. The bill would provide a permanent legislative solution to mining threats in the region. As the bill moves through Congress, the campaign is also working with land managers to secure a temporary 20-year mining ban. Both processes are critical. Here’s what you need to know and how you can help:
Congress
The Methow Headwaters Act would permanently block mining on 340,000 acres of the Methow Valley’s public lands. The senators originally introduced the legislation in 2016. Now they’ve reintroduced it to a new Congress, where it needs the vote of the Senate and House to be passed into law. We’ll need strong leadership from Senators Murray and Cantwell to accomplish this. It’s a busy time for our lawmakers. Please take a minute to thank our senators for keeping the Methow Valley a high priority.
Bureau of Land Management
As we reported in January, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a two-year "timeout" that temporarily blocks mining in the Methow Valley. During the timeout, the BLM is seeking public input as they evaluate extending protections through a 20-year administrative mineral withdrawal. The comment period is open for a limited amount of time, so please write the BLM while you still can. Let’s do everything we can to secure 20 years of protection, while we continue to fight for a permanent solution through Congress.
New To This Issue?
We’ve been honored to partner with the Methow Headwaters Campaign. Learn more about our work with this broad coalition.
