On January 19, 2022 the international coalition celebrated a major win: A settlement to HALT MINING has been reached!
Southern British Columbia has become a dangerous hotspot for toxic pollution from mines in watersheds that flow into Washington state, including the beloved Skagit River.
In 2019, a request for a permit to begin mining in the Skagit Headwaters was made by Imperial Metals, the company responsible for the infamous Mount Polley mine disaster of 2014, which spilled more than 24 million cubic meters of wastewater laden with arsenic, lead, selenium and copper into the Fraser River watershed, one of the biggest environmental disasters in Canadian history.
The iconic Skagit River begins in British Columbia, flows down through the North Cascades and Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, eventually ending in the Puget Sound, providing 30% of the Sound’s freshwater. The Skagit Watershed is critical to the health and well-being of the region’s residents, Indigenous communities, and local recreation and agriculture economies.
Decisions made by our neighbors to the north affect us all downstream. Moving forward with mining is a direct threat to Indigenous communities and to one of our state’s most beloved natural resources. That’s why we’re working to #Protectskagit.
COALITION RESOURCES
- 01/19/2022 Press Release, “Coalition Cheers Settlement of Mining Threat to Skagit Headwaters“
- 07/29/2021 Press Release, “British Columbia Stakeholders Add Growing Opposition to Imperial Metals’ Mining Permit near Manning & Skagit Provincial Parks“
- 05/05/2021 Press Release, “Local Skagit County Governments, Tribes Join Opposition to Mining in Skagit Headwaters“
- 01/13/2021 Press Release, “International Coalition Opposing Mining in Skagit Headwaters Grows“
- 12/04/2019 Press Release, “International Coalition Celebrates Victory on Logging Threat in Canadian Skagit Headwaters“
- 08/13/2019 Press Release, “Opposition to Imperial Metals’ Proposed Mining Permit near Manning Provincial Park Grows“
- 06/17/19 Press Release, “International Coalition Launches Paid Ad Campaign in Opposition to Proposed Mining in Skagit Headwaters“
MEDIA
01/19/2022 The Skagit Herald, “Canada: No more mining threat for Skagit River headwaters“
01/19/2022 The Seattle Times, “Mining company drops rights to Upper Skagit watershed in key preservation step“
01/19/2022 Vancouver Sun, “Imperial Metals surrenders mining rights in B.C.’s Silverdaisy watershed“
01/19/2022 Castanet, “Mining proposal cancalled“
01/19/2022 British Columbia Government News, “Mineral tenures surrendered in ecologically sensitive Skagit River Donut Hole”
6/25/2021 The Seattle Times (Letter), “Skagit mine permit: ‘Protect our quality of life’“
1/29/2021, The Guardian, “Opposition rises to Canadian mining plan that poses risk across US border“
1/24/2021, Skagit Valley Herald, “Potential B.C. mine remains a concern for those downstream“
1/14/2021, 980 CKNW Radio, “Urging the province to shut down the mine“
2/25/2020, Seattle Times, “Washington’s Rivers, Salmon, and Orcas Need Protection from Canadian Mines”
2/21/2020, Crosscut, “Tribes Worry Canadian Mine Could Poison Washington Salmon“
1/8/2020, The Narwahl, “The border is this imaginary line’: why Americans are fighting mining in B.C.’s ‘Doughnut Hole“
12/6/2019, Skait Valley Herald, “Logging prohibited in Skagit River headwaters, mining still a possibility“
12/4/2019, Seattle Times, “British Columbia will no longer Log in the Skagit Headwaters, key to Puget Sound“
10/31/2019, Castanet, “First Nations meet in ManningPark to Oppose Proposed Mining Work“
8/25/2019, Mt Baker Experience, “Loggin and Proposed Mining in BC Headwaters Threaten the Skagit River“
8/23/2019, Vancouver Sun, “BC Must Reform Mineral Tenure Laws that do not Require Aboriginal Consultation: First Nation Leaders“
8/20/2019, Seattle Times OPED, “Salmon and Mining: The Science is Clear, the Future is Uncertain“
8/15/2019, KGMI Radio Bellingham, “Canadian Groups Oppose Skagit River Watershed Mining“
8/14/2019, CTV News Vancouver, “Proposed Mine Between two Provincial Parks draws Cross-Border Opposition“
8/14/2019, CBC News Radio, “140 organizations and officials oppose exploratory drilling in area between 2 protected B.C. parks“
8/14/2019, Vancouver Sun OPED, “What will it take to finally save the Skagit River?“
8/13/2019, Skagit Valley Herald, “Groups Oppose Proposed Mining“
8/13/2019, Castanet, “Mining Work Backlash Grows“
8/9/2019, Vancouver Sun , “Canada-U.S. watershed commission renews effort to buy Skagit-Manning area mining tenures“
7/16/2019, The Narwhal, “The government agency at the centre of B.C.’s old-growth logging showdown“
7/5/2019, KNNX NPR, “Mine proposal near U.S.-Canadian border raises concerns on both sides“
6/21/2019, Hope Standard, “International coalition launches campaign in opposition to proposed mining in local ‘donut hole’“
6/17/2019, The Narwhal, “Why an international coalition is going all out to stop mining in B.C.’s Skagit headwaters“
6/17/2019, The Star, “U.S. demands for B.C. to clean up its mining practices getting louder“
6/16/2019, Vancouver Sun, “Environmental groups fight to prevent mine exploration on edge of Manning Park“
6/16/2019, The Province, Environmental groups fight to prevent mine exploration on edge of Manning Park
6/16/2019, The Western Star, “Environmental groups fight to prevent mine exploration on edge of Manning Park“
6/13/2019, Seattle Times, “Eight U.S. senators ratchet up pressure on B.C. over mining’s effects on American rivers“
6/13/2019, The Narwhal, “U.S. senators to Horgan: clean up B.C.’s mining mess“
6/7/2019, Everett Herald Editorial, “Editorial: B.C., Canada should block mining on upper Skagit“
6/4/2019, Seattle Times Editorial, “Mining Skagit River Headwaters Invites Disaster“
Jun-19, Fly Fishing Journal, “Skagit Headwaters: No to Imperial Metals Mining Permit“
5/24/2019, Skagit Valley Herald, “Members of Congress oppose mining Skagit River headwaters“
5/22/2019, Seattle Times, “Mining Proposal for Skagit River Headwaters in BC sparks outcry from Congressional Dems, Gov. Inslee“
5/19/2019, Skagit Valley Herald, “Opposition Grows for Proposed Mining in Skagit River Headwaters“
5/17/2019, Seattle Times LTE, Yes to Fish Runs; No to Gold Mine in Skagit River
5/12/2019, Seattle Times OPED, “Tribes and First Nations say no to gold mining in Skagit River headwaters“
4/30/2019, Castanet, “Mining plans spark uproar“
4/23/2019, The Narwhal, “Imperial Metals’ plan to drill in Skagit headwaters spawns cross-border backlash“
4/5/2019, Seattle P.I., “Connelly: British Columbia — Don’t trash the ‘magic Skagit,’ eh?“
Washington Wild has led efforts to protect the Skagit Headwaters from both logging and mining threats. View recent posts from Washington Wild below.
Washington Wild Earns Esteem in Border Policy Analysis Brief About Skagit Headwaters
Published by Western Washington University associate professor Derek Moscato, the policy brief focused on the successful campaign to halt mining in the Skagit River Headwaters of British Columbia. Specifically, Moscato analyzed the […]
WA Wild Coordinates Letter in Support of Permanent Protection of the Skagit Headwaters
Washington Wild coordinated a comment letter undersigned by 187 conservation, recreation and wildlife organizations as well as U.S. Tribes, Canadian First Nations, local businesses, elected officials, and other concerned interests […]
Coalition Cheers Settlement to Halt Mining Threat in the Skagit River Headwaters
An international coalition cheered a major victory today: A settlement to halt mining in the Skagit Headwaters. In 2019, Imperial Metals Corporation filed a permit to begin mining in the […]
