INTRODUCTION 



More metal and mineral products are produced in western 

 North America than any other region of similar size in the 

 world. The domestic demand for minerals has increased at an 

 astounding rate; in fact, more metal and mineral products 

 have been used in the United States since World War II than 

 were used in the entire previous history of the world. The 

 present major mining activity in the West centers upon the 

 copper mines of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Mon- 

 tana. Copper is number one in economic importance in metal 

 mining west of the Rocky Mountains (SEAM 1977). 



Over the years American mining companies have exploited 

 the raw mineral reserves of partially developed countries, 

 but the current foreign climate has made prospecting and 

 development of these reserves uneconomical or politically un- 

 available so the developers are returning to the States and 

 will be putting more pressure on public lands to produce 

 minerals in the coming years. Montana is feeling this pres- 

 sure as domestic mineral promoters are strongly encouraging 

 exploration and development of the state's mineral resources. 

 Northwest Montana's metalliferous mineral deposits have not 

 been thoroughly explored or developed but the area is tar- 

 geted as having a great potential for future production 

 (Johns 1970). 



Little documentation is available concerning the effects 

 of hard rock mining upon wildlife (Hudson 1978) . Resources 

 to research this relationship have not been available due to 

 the unlikelihood of voluntary implementation of research 

 recommendations by mining companies. "Pertinent data for 

 rehabilitating mined land in ways that will promote wildlife, 

 aesthetics, erosion control, and water quality are virtually 

 nonexistent" (National Academy of Sciences -- taken from 

 Sheridan 1977). 



The General Mining Law of 1872 is at the root of the 

 problem. Efforts to reform or repeal this piece of legisla- 

 tion have met with repeated obstacles. The 1872 law does 

 not control environmental degradation even if the losses are 

 severe and it does not balance the nation's need for minerals 

 against other needs in a manner consistent with multiple use 

 philosophy (NPRC 1978). These points, along with the fact 

 that mineral production will increase in the United States, 

 pose serious consequences for wildlife. 



In 19 76 ASARCO Inc. submitted a notice of intent to the 

 Kootenai National Forest (KNF) to conduct mining operations 

 on National Forest land and they applied for a hard rock 

 operating permit with the Montana Department of State Lands 



