BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials plan to block new mining claims outside Yellowstone National Park as the Obama administration races in its last days to keep industry out of pristine and environmentally sensitive areas.
Mining claims on 30,000 acres north of the nation’s first national park would be prohibited for at least two years while a longterm ban is considered.
Details were obtained by The Associated Press in advance of today’s formal announcement by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
Interior officials last week blocked new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean and cancelled 25 oil and gas leases in western Colorado and 15 in northwestern Montana.
Republicans and industry representatives have criticized the administration’s eleventh-hour actions to limit development and promised to seek their reversal once Obama leaves office.
The latest move comes after a pair of gold exploration proposals north of Yellowstone drew strong opposition from local business owners, environmentalists and Montana elected officials.
The opponents argue that mining would industrialize wild areas populated by grizzly bears, bighorn sheep and other wildlife; harm streams that drain into the Yellowstone River; and dampen tourism, which is a mainstay of the region’s economy.
The two-year prohibition would not explicitly block the two pending mining proposals, both of which involve private lands. However, officials said it could make large-scale mining more difficult if the projects were expanded onto public lands.
Recreation and other activities still would be allowed in the area.
