Author: MTUvolunteer

Trout Unlimited’s film “Not Mine, Ours” recently premiered at the 16th annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival to a captive audience including children, which also happen to be the stars of production.

Film maker, Trout Unlimited staffer, and dad Josh Duplechian made the film while on a spring-time Smith River float with Clara (5), Clare (5), Lucy Gray (7), Luke (7) and Gordon (7).

“Kids ask a lot of questions. I knew when making this film we needed children to lead the discussion about the Smith River,” Duplechian said. “Not only did the kids exceed our expectations, but they managed to have thoughtful conversations about what this river meant to them for five days straight. Each and every one of these kids should be proud of their natural curiosity and what it will do to help save our Smith River.”

A recent Great Falls Tribune article, on the public hearing process for the Smith River mine, looks into the major concerns and issues the over 9,000 comments were focused on. 

The Department of Environmental Quality has released the Scoping Report following the four public hearings. This document summarizes the comments and concerns that were raised at the public hearings. It can be viewed here

We are proud and wowed by the hundreds of Montanans who braved the weather to attend four public hearings and voice concerns about the mine being proposed in the headwaters of the iconic Smith River!

Read the recent op-ed summarizing the four public hearings by Executive Director of Montana Trout Unlimited, David Brooks.

Montana’s Smith River has again made a national advocacy group’s list of most endangered rivers in the country due to a proposed mine near its headwaters.