The South Fork of the Salmon River is at risk from a large scale open-pit gold mine.

The South Fork of the Salmon River is at risk from a large-scale open-pit gold mine. 

In the heart of the Salmon River mountains, the Stibnite Gold Project is the perfect example of why we urgently need meaningful mining reform now. Perpetua Resources, like other mining corporations, stretches the truth and fails to be honest about the destruction that will be left behind. The impacts of this project on our rivers and fisheries will be felt for generations in exchange for short-term economic benefits.

The Stibnite Gold Project puts the Salmon River at risk, one of our most cherished and economically important river systems. It threatens our recreation industry and some of our most iconic fish species.

In the fall of 2024, the Forest Service released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Draft Record of Decision (DROD) for the Stibnite Gold Project. The planned open-pit cyanide vat leach gold mine in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains would jeopardize public health and clean water, harm threatened species, violate Indigenous treaty rights, and permanently scar thousands of acres of public land in the headwaters of the South Fork Salmon River, a coalition of local and national conservation groups said.

Perpetua Resources’ proposed project would destroy over 20% of the critical habitat for chinook and bull trout in the project area. More than 70% of the project’s disturbance would occur on public land.

Despite Perpetua’s assurances that their project is the only viable solution to address legacy pollution from past mining at Stibnite, the Forest Service concluded that “the No Action Alternative is the environmentally preferable alternative” (DROD pg. 35). The Forest Service further explains that even with mitigation measures and efforts to reclaim the area, doing nothing would be less environmentally damaging than proceeding with the project. Ultimately, Perpetua Resources will leave the site in worse condition than how they found it. 

For over three decades, Idaho Rivers United has been focused on protecting the thousands of river miles that traverse our state. Idaho’s abundance of public land and natural resources makes it an ideal location for mining interests that permanently alter the landscape.

Idaho’s ground is worth more than what’s in it. It’s time to #SavetheSouthFork and #StopStibnite.

Idaho Rivers United along with partner conservation organizations, including Idaho Conservation League, Save the South Fork Salmon, and American Whitewater, will be hosting a number of informational meetings and webinars over the course of the public comment period to assist with comment writing and to provide analytical assistance for this complex project. See our River RAT page for more information.

Learn More

The History: Legacy mining at Sibnite

The Project & the DEIS

The Risks: What’s at stake

People of the South Fork

The Problem of Open Pit Mines