By Blair Miller, Daily Montanan
A coalition of environmental organizations opposed to mining in the Smith River watershed delivered a petition signed by about 10,000 people Tuesday to the U.S. Forest Service office in Helena urging it to withdraw mineral leases granted to a mining company whose mine on private land nearby is already being challenged.
The Smith River Public Lands Coalition said while Sandfire Resources America’s Black Butte Copper Mine has received plenty of attention in recent years, the company’s filing of about 700 mining claims on public lands pose a similar threat to public lands.
