Green River Valley Alliance submits formal request for legislation!

It was a dynamic and productive summer for the Green River Valley Alliance as we have continued to advocate for a mineral withdrawal to protect the Green River Valley from the threat of mining, once and for all! We have carried on with our public events and tablings across the region. We have also been hard at work behind the scenes, holding very productive meetings with our elected officials at both the local and federal levels.

These conversations continued to develop over the summer and several months ago we decided to take the first formal step in getting a bill introduced – submitting a letter from the Alliance and its many members. Since then, we have put an extra emphasis on growing the size of the Alliance by increasing the number of petition signatures and by signing on more businesses and organizations as Alliance members. After collaboration with our many partners, meetings with congressional staff and local elected officials, and additional outreach to local communities over the last several months, we finally submitted our formal request for a legislative solution on September 15th, with 96 organizations and local businesses signed on in support!

This letter was sent to the offices of Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez as well as the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. When our elected officials are ready to move forward and are looking to draft a bill, this letter will be there to provide the information needed for them to do so effectively and efficiently.

We believe the submission of this letter conveys the urgency of this issue and demonstrates broad local support for a mineral withdrawal, encouraging our federal elected officials to take action towards protecting this irreplaceable landscape. The 96 groups signed on to this letter prove that there are many who love this area and that it is valued by people from all walks of life. We continue to work towards preserving the natural beauty, cultural importance, critical wildlife habitat, and boundless outdoor recreation opportunities that the Green River Valley offers. This landscape truly is no place for a mine and this formal request for a legislative solution marks our latest step towards securing permanent protections for the area against mining.