Letter: A Spotted Owl landed on clean water

Three decades ago the spotted owl was used to obstruct tree removal and to force unreasonable “hands off” forest management that has helped result in today’s mega fires. So, forgive me for not believing the water pollution calamity story now being told by similar activists promoting I-186. This initiative will instead just hurt young Montana working-class families and harm local small businesses that depend on mining.

The corporations pushing I-186 are distracting voters with a nonexistent clean water crisis to hide their harmful mission in a perceived warm fuzzy moral cause. Of course Montanans care about clean water and protecting the environment. That is exactly why Montana mines comply with more regulations today than at any time in our state’s history. Current mining laws vigorously protect clean water. If more regulations are needed, introduce new common sense laws. But do not pretend for a minute this initiative is really about protecting water.

I-186 was carefully crafted by anti-mining groups to dupe caring Montanans and to create confusing legal language in an effort to hurt another Montana industry. 

Please, do not let their bait lure you in; vote NO on I-186. 

Dusty Weber

Hamilton