U.S. Forest Service issues ROD for Rock Creek project

LIBBY — RC Resources, a subsidiary of Hecla Mining Company, announced late last week that the supervisor of the Kootenai National Forest has signed the Record of Decision (ROD) authorizing Phase I of the Rock Creek project in Sanders County. 

“Signing this decision ends over seven years of environmental analysis which began in 2011 in response to the last round of project litigation,” said Doug Stiles, general manager for RC Resources. “RC Resources and the U.S. Forest Service have dedicated thousands of hours to reach this point. We appreciate the hard work and perseverance shown by the U.S. Forest Service and their contractor.”

The decision by the State of Montana, through the Department of Environmental Quality and the Governor’s Office, to sue RC Resource’s parent organization is detrimental to this project and has created uncertainty about the company’s ability to operate in Montana.

“With the ROD now signed, we will push expeditiously to complete the operating, monitoring and mitigation plans required by the U.S. Forest Service before beginning the exploration activities,” said Stiles. “Our goal is to have everything in place so that when the courts uphold our right to operate in Montana, we are ready to put Montanans to work. If not for the actions of the State, we could possibly have broken ground as early as this year.”