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When faced with a difficult circumstance, especially one that arouses strong emotions, I think it’s wisest to look at both sides and carefully consider the pros and cons of each. I live in the mountains east of Clark Fork, not far from the proposed mine. This is our home. We’ve raised our children here. We love the wilderness: I’ve backpacked frequently in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, camped with our kids at Cliff Lake, and scrambled up Chicago Peak and St. Paul Peak with them. I love the towering peaks, lush canyons, the roaring rivers and peaceful lakes of this area.

And I support the mine.

Our family camps at Spar Lake every year. We see the results of the Troy mine. Do I love the huge facility in that canyon? No, but I appreciate that they’re doing their best to mitigate the effects of their labor. I also appreciate that every day I use the kinds of products being extracted from these mines. We all do.

I’ve researched both sides of this issue. I’ve heard the many arguments against the mine, and I respect the opinions of those who oppose it. Perhaps so many opinions have calcified around the issue that a review the facts may be in order, apropos of Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s observation that “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”

DOUG FLUCKIGER

Clark Fork