In the heart of Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest and in the intermediate forest north of the Mount St. Helens blast zone, a pristine waterway will soon be lost if current mining plans are allowed to continue. Canadian mining company Ascot Resources, Ltd., is close to receiving the permits it needs to begin exploratory mining at the upper extent of the Green River watershed. This watershed runs through Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and continues its westward course to the Toutle River, ultimately providing drinking water to the communities on its path that include the towns of Castle Rock and Kelso, Washington.
A coalition of forces, including American Rivers and the Cascade Forest Conservancy, are taking a lead in organizing grassroots support to protect the Green River. American Rivers recently added the Green River to its annual report of America’s Most Endangered Rivers, and it notes that exploratory drilling here “would completely destroy Goat Mountain, including a treasured recreational trail with remarkable views of Mount Saint Helens, and likely pollute the Green River with toxic drilling additives or acid mine drainage.”
LINK (via: Outdoor Project)
