Compromise Reached On Buckhorn Mountain

TONASKET, WA - An accord was reached between conservation groups and mining interests, ending an 18-year effort to stop the development of a large gold mine on Buckhorn Mountain in north central Washington State. By negotiating the agreement signed by both mining opponents and the company that will build the mine, Okanogan Highlands Alliance (OHA) was able to achieve proactive environmental protections beyond those required by federal and state agencies.
Buckhorn Mountain was part of the National Forest System until 2004 when the federal government sold the mining claims containing a billion dollars worth of gold for $740.
After privatization via patenting, in September 2006, the Washington State Department of Ecology approved a permit for Crown Resources/Kinross to construct the proposed mine which OHA appealed. Over a year later in the fall of 2007 the Department issued water rights and water quality certification which were appealed by OHA, Washington Environmental Council (WEC), and the Center for Environmental Law & Policy. These and other permit appeals were consolidated and the parties were preparing for a trial scheduled to begin on May 12. With the signing of the agreement, the groups withdraw the appeals in exchange for verifiable, independent monitoring and increased mitigation.
"The groups realized we could win more by settling," stated David Kliegman, OHA's Executive Director, who has led the fight against the mine for nearly two decades. "Instead of a very expensive legal battle, OHA and Crown will put our resources into positive improvements for our community and the environment and independent oversight of the mine impacts."
For more information contacta: David Kliegman, Okanogan Highlands Alliance (OHA), 509-485-3361.