Success! On April 30, the Bureau of Land Management rejected a lease application near Mount St. Helens, protecting Goat Mountain from a proposed 217-acre copper mine. The mine would have cut through the popular recreation area, demanding new roads, diversion of large amounts of water, and potential leaching of toxins into local waterways affecting fish and local wildlife. Some 33,000 public comments were received regarding the project, including many from Conservation Northwest members. The vast majority opposed the mine, while Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell also voiced their concerns.

“It’s great news,” said Emily Platt, executive director of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force. “It’s good news for the communities that are downstream of the mine, including Kelso and Longview. It’s great news for threatened fish runs in the Green River. It’s great news for those who horseback ride and hike in the area because they won’t have to see hundreds of mine trucks every day.”

It looks like the fight really is over: A spokesman for General Moly mining company stated that they will not pursue the mine application any further.