Agency backs plan to block new mining near Yellowstone

BILLINGS, MONT. — U.S. officials on Friday recommended approval of a plan to block new mining claims for 20 years on public lands in the towering mountains north of Yellowstone National Park.

Regional Forester Leanne Marten submitted a letter to the Bureau of Land Management endorsing the plan to withdraw 30,000 acres in Montana’s Paradise Valley and the Gardiner Basin from new claims for gold, silver, platinum and other minerals, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Marna Daley said.

The rocky peaks and forested stream valleys covered by the withdrawal attract skiers, hikers and other recreational users. It’s an area where grizzly bears, wolves and other wildlife roam back and forth across the Yellowstone border.

A final decision is up to the office of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who said in a statement that the withdrawal could be finalized in coming weeks.

The Forest Service recommendation follows concerns among business owners, residents and local officials that proposed mining projects north of Yellowstone could damage waterways and hurt tourism, a mainstay of the local economy.

About 1.7 million people drove through that area last year, and withdrawing the land from new mining development would help protect the areas for wildlife and recreation, according to U.S. Forest Service officials.

“I’ve always said there are places where it is appropriate to mine and places where it isn’t. The Paradise Valley is one of those unique places,” Zinke said.

The mining industry opposes putting the public land off limits. Backers of the withdrawal want it made permanent.

The withdrawal would affect public lands, not existing mining claims or exploration on private lands.