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As home to the last breeding population of the rare Coaster Brook Trout on the south shore of Lake Superior, the Salmon Trout is a symbol of the wildest part of Michigan. Protection of the Salmon Trout and the surrounding wildlands is of tremendous importance to the people of the state's Upper Peninsula.

The Kennecott Minerals Corporation has acquired almost 500,000 acres of mineral rights in the Upper Peninsula and has identified an ore body thought to contain copper, nickel, platinum and other metallic minerals. They are proposing to sink an underground mine at the headwaters of the Salmon Trout. The ore is a sulfide based ore that is expected to create sulfuric acid when exposed to the air or water, which is virtually inevitable.

Road construction into the mine site would be required to provide capacity to ship out the tons of ore mined. Already, a road culvert built by Kennecott has blown out, dumping more than 90 tons of dirt and sediments into the river. If they can't build a road so that pollution is prevented, how could they possibly dig a mine that won't destroy this rare and irreplaceable river?

Meetings on the proposal to mine in this area have seen hundreds of participants from all walks of life show up in protest. Sierra Club has taken a lead role in passing legislation and developing regulations to protect the Salmon Trout River and Lake Superior from pollution from sulfide ore mining. An ongoing Sierra Club water sentinels project is monitoring water quality in the Salmon Trout River to both educate the public about this magnificent waterway and gather data to protect it.

To join the fight, please contact: Anne Woiwode at awoiwodesc@earthlink.net.