25 years and counting

SANDPOINT – The Rock Creek Alliance is celebrating 25 years of protecting Lake Pend Oreille with an anniversary event at Trinity at City Beach today.

The event is taking place from 5-8:30 p.m.

Since 1996, the non-profit organization has spearheaded efforts to protect the water quality of the Clark Fork and Lake Pend Oreille watershed from the proposed Rock Creek Mine across the border in Montana

As the plans for the mine stand now, it would tunnel for miles beneath the Cabinet Wilderness and alpine lakes to access large silver and copper deposits that exist there. However, critics say the proposed mine poses a threat to area wildlife, and clean water streams in western Montana and the Idaho panhandle.

Clark Fork Coalition officials estimate 100 million tons of mine waste could impact the Clark Fork River if the mine is built Critics said that could lead to pollutants from acid mine drainage, and reduction of stream flows which would likely hurt the bull trout, a federally protected species.

Over the past 25 years, the Rock Creek Mine project has faced a number of legal challenges in obtaining the proper permitting. Regulators did start approving the project in 2003, however, the mine owner Hecla Mining, whose current CEO is Phillips Baker, has been found in violation of environmental laws, one of which makes the mine illegal if not resolved. Protected by the state of Montana's “Outstanding Resource Water, depleting the streams of the Cabinet Wilderness would in fact be a violation.

Through the creation, disbursement, and presentations of educational materials, organizing community events, and getting involved in the litigation through non-profit lawyers the Rock Creek Alliance has pushed back against the permitting of the mine, to preserve the natural integrity of Cabinet Wilderness and surrounding watershed.

To celebrate a quarter-century of protecting the region, the Rock Creek Alliance is hosting the anniversary celebration. The event features a silent auction, a rock skipping contest, and more — all set to the lake views of Trinity and live music by Headwaters.

The silent auction will have several pieces of art by local artists available for bid, while later on, a special presentation will be given by Bonnie Gestring on the “secrets of stopping mines.”