On August 17th, we announced a partnership with Trout Unlimited and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) to protect wildlife habitat near Yellowstone National Park.
Through this partnership, Kinross will donate water rights representing about 3 billion gallons of water to Trout Unlimited to protect fish habitat in the Yellowstone River watershed and reached a conservation easement with RMEF to protect an important 549-acre land corridor used as an elk migration route and Yellowstone National Park viewshed.
To commemorate the conservation agreement, a celebration and dedication event was held at the reclaimed Mineral Hill mine, which overlooks the world-renowned Yellowstone National Park.
The event was hosted by Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk. Montana Governor Steve Bullock, Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, Montana Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines, and Congressman Greg Gianforte all attended and spoke about the importance of the agreement.
J. Paul Rollinson, President and CEO, Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited, and David Allen, President and CEO of RMEF, also signed the partnership agreement and unveiled a dedication sign at the event.
“Mining responsibly is an imperative for Kinross and guides decision-making at all of our properties. We are proud to partner with Trout Unlimited and RMEF to achieve positive benefits for the environment and local community,” said J. Paul Rollinson.
“This agreement will help keep more water in the river, providing cooler temperatures in the height of summer and better habitat for fish and wildlife. It is great to see a company such as Kinross understand that healthy fisheries are the lifeblood of the West. Trout Unlimited is excited to see such a partnership provide lasting benefits to both the river and the communities that depend on it,” said Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited President and CEO.
“This project is a win-win for elk and elk country because it permanently protects a key migration corridor as well as important habitat for elk, deer and other wildlife. We appreciate the work of our partners in conserving the land’s wildlife values and improving public access,” said David Allen, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation President and CEO.
Click here to see our event featured in a local Montana news program and click here to see our feature from the National Mining Association.
The Mineral Hill Mine was operated by TVX Mineral Hill, Inc.until the mine closed in 1996. TVX became a subsidiary of Kinross Gold U.S.A., Inc. in 2003. After the Mineral Hill Mine’s closure, Kinross’ extensive reclamation activities earned the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Hard Rock Mineral Environmental Award in 2011.
J Paul Rollinson, President & CEO, speaks at the Mineral Hill celebration
From left to right: Chris Wood, President & CEO, Trout Unlimited, Governor Steve Bullock, David Bernhardt, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, J Paul Rollinson, President & CEO, Senator Jon Tester, Senator Steve Daines, Congressman Greg Gianforte, and Dan Wenk, Yellowstone Park Superintendent with Mineral Hill in the background
Paul shakes hands with Trout Unlimited President & CEO Chris Wood, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation President & CEO David Allen on the left
David Allen, President & CEO, RMEF, J. Paul Rollinson, President & CEO and Chris Wood, President & CEO, Trout Unlimited stand with the ‘Partnership in Action’ dedication sign
The crowd at the Mineral Hill event Celebration during remarks from speakers
