The U.S. Forest Service wants to allow a Canadian company to “play the lottery” near Mount St. Helens. The agency has issued a draft decision to approve Ascot Resources’ plan to prospect for minerals along the Green River just outside the national monument boundary.
The company admits that the chances of successfully developing a mine are remote. None of Ascot’s projects over some 30 years has resulted in construction of a mine. The company’s existence depends on investors willing to continue bankrolling it on the chance it will prove a claim and sell it for a tidy profit.
The U.S. Forest Service wants to risk water quality in the Green River, fish, wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities for hikers, anglers, hunters, horseback riders and mountain bikers so Canadian shareholders and stockbrokers can make money. Prospecting drill holes risk acid rock drainage and toxic metals leaching into surface and ground water on our national forest lands. The constant noise and light from nonstop drilling would prevent visitors from enjoying backcountry pursuits.
The public lands and waters of the Green River valley should be protected in perpetuity rather than opened to mineral exploration.
