Independent Seth Bodnar Opposes Sheep Creek Mine: “Not Going To Stand For It”

HAMILTON, MT—Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar today announced his opposition to the proposed Sheep Creek rare-earth mine near the headwaters of the Bitterroot River, and calls on federal regulators to require a full environmental review rather than fast-tracking the project under the lowest level of federal oversight.

"The Sheep Creek mine proposal is a case study in what happens when federal agencies bypass local communities," Bodnar said. "Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in Ravalli County stand united against this broken process. Yet federal officials are fast-tracking this project anyway after they quietly removed its environmental assessment from a public dashboard and substituted a categorical exclusion, the lowest level of oversight on the books. It’s unacceptable, it’s a textbook case of Washington, DC threatening our way of life, and Montanans of all political stripes are not going to stand for it.”

The proposed Sheep Creek mine directly threatens the economic foundation of Ravalli County. The Bitterroot River watershed powers 1,400 local farms and ranches, a $68 million angling industry, and an $80 million regional tourism sector. Since U.S. Critical Materials (USCM) unveiled its plan in the Bitterroot National Forest, opposition has been overwhelming from Ravalli County residents, county commissioners, state lawmakers, and members of Montana's congressional delegation since details emerged. At a public meeting last December, nearly 700 community members showed up, and not one spoke in favor of the project.

Seth Bodnar is a Green Beret, business leader, and former president of the University of Montana running for the U.S. Senate to be an independent voice for Montana. Seth is guided by a lifelong commitment to duty, honor, and country. He graduated first in his class at West Point and served multiple overseas deployments, leading soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st Special Forces Group, and serving as a special advisor to the commanding general in Iraq. After his military service and a successful career in business, Seth spent the last eight years leading the University of Montana. Under his leadership, the university achieved record high graduation rates, doubled research funding, launched the largest infrastructure renewal in campus history, restored financial stability, and was named the #1 military-friendly university in the country. Raised by two public school teachers, he believes leadership is about service, not party loyalty. Seth and his wife, a fifth-generation Montanan, are raising their three children in Montana.

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