Hecla officials recently got the good news that a local mining project received federal approval.

According to the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, the Libby Exploration Project, formerly known as the Montanore Project, has completed the permitting process.

“Congratulations to the U.S. Forest Service and Hecla Mining Company for efficiently completing this project,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “Completing permitting for the Libby Exploration Project will facilitate the development of silver and copper resources critical to national and economic security, and once again shows how the FAST-41 process can speed permitting while maintaining our nation’s best-in-class environmental standards.”

In response to Executive Order 14241, the Montana-based project is the 19th mining project to complete federal permitting during the Trump Administration. The Libby Project was among 10 that Pres. Donald Trump first selected for the FAST-41 process. 

FAST-41 is a program aimed at improving the timeliness, predictability and transparency of federal environmental review and authorization processes for covered infrastructure projects.

It was a result of Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015, signed into law Dec. 4, 2015, by former Pres. Barack Obama. Illinois Republican Rodney Davis introduced the bill earlier that year and it received overwhelming support from legislators. The vote was 359–65 in the House and 83–16 in the Senate.

“This is a huge win for Montana,” said Sen. Steven Daines (R-MT). “The Libby Exploration Project will provide good-paying Montana mining jobs and will unlock the high value of world-class copper and silver. Thank you to the leadership of Forest Service Chief Schultz and the Permitting Council for prioritizing this important project for the community.”

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke echoed his support for the approval.

“The people and miners of Libby know better than anybody that there is a right and wrong way to mine,” said Representative Ryan Zinke (MT-01). “Good mining projects with strong safety and reclamation plans provide good job opportunities and revenue for the local county. The approval of the Libby Exploration Project is good news for Lincoln County, Montana, workers, and our nation's security. I look forward to seeing the benefits this project can bring to the Treasure State.”

Kootenai National Forest officials signed off on the project in 2025.

“America’s future depends on producing more of the critical minerals that power our economy, strengthen our energy security, and support our national defense,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “President Trump’s commitment to restoring American energy and mineral dominance continues to deliver results for rural communities, and this project is a prime example of how USDA can help responsibly unlock Montana’s world-class mineral resources, supporting good-paying jobs, and strengthening the critical mineral supply chains that keep our nation secure.”

Many area residents and advocates say the project will unlock “world-class” copper and silver deposits. Officials cite the jobs that will be created as well as the mushroom effect of more spending in the local communities.

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate is currently at 5.8%, highest in the state, according to state figures for June. 

"We are pleased to see the U.S. Forest Service advance the Libby Project, and we are grateful the FAST-41 process helped move this important project forward efficiently," said Rob Krcmarov, President and CEO of Hecla. "This approval represents years of collaboration among federal agencies, local and state officials and other stakeholders. The Libby Project exemplifies our commitment to responsibly developing critical minerals in the United States, delivering long-term economic benefits to our communities, and maintaining rigorous environmental stewardship."

Located 20 aerial miles south of the town of Libby in Lincoln County, Montana near the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness, this project will continue underground exploration and evaluation to explore the potential for critical copper and silver mining. 

The Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service served as the lead permitting agency.

The project also received support from Sen. Tim Sheehy and Congressman Troy Downing

Opponents cite the possible pollution of Libby Creek, a major tributary to the Kootenai River, as well as adverse affects on imperiled fish and wildlife species, such as bull trout, grizzly bears and wolverines.

The hunt for copper and silver at the edge of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness began more than 40 years ago when U.S. Borax bought old mine claims. 

Then, Canadian-based Noranda Minerals Corp. bought the claims and built a 14,000-foot exploratory mine shaft 20 miles south of Libby, just outside of the wilderness boundaries.

Hecla’s Director of Environmental Operations Marty Stearns told Montana Public Radio that exploration wouldn’t cause any more surface disturbance.

“We have 11.6 acres disturbed here. This project will disturb no more. And that's, this is all private land, privately owned. So the only thing that's happening under Forest Service is it's all underground,” Stearns said.

Half of the mine shaft, called an adit, is currently underwater. Hecla’s plan is to dewater that area. The work includes removing waste rock and drilling boreholes.

The exploration will determine if it is economically viable to mine.

Hecla officials say mining is still a decade away if it’s proven to be worth it.

Forest Service officials said that if Hecla pursues full-scale mining in the future, the company will need to submit a new proposal and undergo additional environmental review. 

Experts say the Cabinet Mountains hold vast mineral reserves — an estimated 500 million ounces of silver and 4 billion pounds of copper.

Hecla plans to extend the tunnel by 4,200 feet and build more tunnels for exploration. To manage increased waste rock, it would expand the existing storage area and build a second site. 

Hecla still needs a water discharge permit. Mike Satre, the company’s director of governmental affairs, said that’s in the works.

In March, several conservation groups filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service in federal district court in Missoula, disputing the agency’s recent approval of a permit for Hecla Mining Company’s Libby Exploration Project.

“There are some places you just should not permit a mine, and this is one of them,” said Derf Johnson, deputy director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, in a March 31 statement. “Some of the cleanest waters in the lower 48, a refuge for endangered species such as grizzly bears and bull trout, and one of the first wilderness areas ever created. It’s just a terrible spot for opening a mine.”

The groups alleged that the Forest Service relied on outdated data and cherry-picked information in completing the required environmental assessment for the Libby Exploration Project, resulting in severe underestimation of the project’s effects on water quality and endangered species. 

The first stage of the 16-year project involves pumping water out of the flooded mineshaft. The excess water will be treated at a water treatment plant before being discharged into the groundwater that feeds Libby Creek. 

The discharged water is expected to reach temperatures of about 62 degrees and have elevated levels of nitrogen, according to Hecla’s application for a Montana Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, which plaintiffs argue will harm bull trout spawning grounds in Libby Creek. 

The suit is pending and is being heard by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto. In a July 20 court order, she ruled both parties must file a joint proposed case management plan by Sept. 25.