Mission

Educate and bring together the Nez Perce Tribal Council, conservation NGOs, lawyers, and stakeholders to stand up against the Stibnite mine and its threats to this critical fishery, Tribal lands, and public health.

The mining company, Perpetua Resources, has proposed reopening two existing pits at the Stibnite gold mine, along with creating a third pit for a gold and antimony mining project. The project would impact more than 3,000 acres - 75% of which are public lands - and disrupt a currently pristine ecosystem. Three open pits would be mined, a tailings dam would be constructed, and the healthy stream of Meadow Creek would be filled with an estimated 100 million tons of toxic waste. Roads would cut through the landscape, and mining contaminants would leach into groundwater at such a scale that a permanent water treatment facility would be required. The mine site lies in the East Fork of the South Fork Salmon River headwaters, critical habitat for chinook, steelhead, westslope cutthroat trout, and bull trout.

Nez Perce Tribal members continue to access areas within and adjacent to the Stibnite site to exercise treaty rights, and for cultural and ceremonial purposes. The Tribe has committed millions of dollars to restoring streams and fish habitat degraded by past mining activity, after companies abandoned their operations and left the Nez Perce and Idaho citizens to shoulder the burden of cleanup.

Now, the Nez Perce Tribe has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service, challenging its approval of the Stibnite Gold Project and citing violations of federal environmental and Tribal treaty laws. The Stibnite mine, would be one of the largest gold mines in the country and threatens the region, its people, and its critical fisheries. Lawsuits from other groups, including our partners at Idaho Conservation League, also challenge the Stibnite Gold Project’s approval.