Call on Oregon to Protect the McDermitt Caldera
The federal government recently approved destructive mining exploration in the irreplaceable McDermitt Caldera. The project would harm sagebrush habitat that is home to at-risk wildlife. It would damage irreplaceable cultural and spiritual sites important to the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe. And it could potentially destabilize groundwater supplies in this desert ecosystem. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries must act now to minimize and monitor the harm. Add your name and urge them to act now!
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Please protect the McDermitt Caldera from mining exploration
The federal government recently approved Jindalee Lithium, a transnational mining corporation, to expand mining exploration within Oregon’s McDermitt Caldera.
The authorized plan proposes to build over 21 miles of roads, drill 168 holes, pump 18,000 gallons of groundwater daily, and impact 7,200 acres of public lands. These activities will cause permanent damage to one of the most important and intact sagebrush ecosystems in the West. Earthworks, along with our partners and community of supporters, urges you to consider the following concerns during the permitting process:
- Irreplaceable habitat: The McDermitt Caldera is one of the last sagebrush strongholds remaining for wildlife in Oregon’s high desert. The public lands in the project area comprise an ecologically critical landscape vital to imperiled wildlife, including the greater sage-grouse, Lahontan cutthroat trout, pygmy rabbit, pronghorn, and mule deer. The proposed project is located in the heart of core sage-grouse habitat, which is nearly impossible to restore once disturbed.
- Cultural values: The McDermitt Caldera is the homeland for many Indigenous Peoples, including the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe. Tribal peoples continue to seek both spiritual and physical sustenance from the landscape as their ancestors have since time immemorial.
- Watershed impacts: There is insufficient data to demonstrate that groundwater flow in the project area is stable enough to support Jindalee’s proposed water usage. Current evidence suggests the McDermitt Creek watershed is not capable of sustaining additional water usage, as water in its downstream basin is over-appropriated.
Taking these concerns into consideration, we urge the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries to require Jindalee to work with state agencies to thoroughly monitor and minimize these impacts to imperiled wildlife, cultural values, and watershed health. The McDermitt Caldera is a unique landscape of remarkable beauty that preserves a cultural heritage beloved by Oregonians from all corners of the state and beyond. Considering the above recommendations will help ensure that the state permitting process supports responsible management of our natural resources.