HAMILTON, Mont. – The public was invited to share concerns, questions and suggestions regarding the Sheep Rock Rare Earth Exploration Project, located south of Darby. The Bitterroot National Forest (BNF) encouraged the public to share their thoughts beginning on August 14.
Comments will be accepted until September 13, 2026.
“The Forest Service is required by regulation to consider mining plans of operations on National Forest System lands, ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and minimize adverse impacts where feasible,” said Dan Pliley, West Fork District Ranger. “US Critical Materials has submitted a draft plan of operations to conduct mineral exploration activities, and we are seeking public input on their proposal.”
The Sheep Creek Exploration Project was expected to include short-term mineral explorations designed to study and evaluate rare minerals. Plans include collecting bulk rock samples, surface drilling and controlled blasting inside tunnels to break rock from mineralized veins.
Approximately 3,000 tons of bulk material is expected to be collected over two field seasons. Helicopter assistance will take the materials from the assigned staging area and transported off site for laboratory analysis.
Site-specific public comments and questions are encouraged to identify potential environmental issues the proposed action could cause.
Hard copy comments may be mailed or delivered to the Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor’s Office, Attn: Sheep Creek Comments, 1801 N. First Street, Hamilton MT. 59840.
All comments received, including names and addresses will be considered part of the public record for this project.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.