Regarding the Sheep Creek Mine, local Montanans have made their opposition clear, therefore I oppose efforts to approve the proposed Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from their fast-track list, said Senator Sheehy.
Oppose efforts to approve the proposed Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from their fast-track list.
Occurrences
"Regarding the Sheep Creek Mine, local Montanans have made their opposition clear, therefore I oppose efforts to approve the proposed Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from their fast-track list."
“Regarding the Sheep Creek Mine, local Montanans have made their opposition clear, therefore I oppose efforts to approve the proposed Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from their fast-track list.”
Regarding the Sheep Creek Mine, local Montanans have made their opposition clear, therefore I oppose efforts to approve the proposed Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from their fast-track list,” said Senator Sheehy.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, and Sen. Tim Sheehy also openly opposed the addition of the proposed mine to the administration’s fast-track list.
The Ravalli County Commissioners recently submitted a letter to the Governor and Montana’s congressional delegation requesting that an EIS be conducted. They also asked for help in taking the Sheep Creek project off the federal FAST-41 list. The congressional delegation sent a joint letter to the Forest Service to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Emily Domenech, director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, which oversees FAST-41 projects. The delegation did not ask the Forest Service or permitting council to remove the project from the FAST-41 list, or “fast track,” but it called for the chief and director to ensure transparency from U.S. Critical Materials or any successor companies. “Unfortunately, it has become clear to us that the developers of the proposed Sheep Creek deposit have not engaged with community leaders and gained their trust to proceed with the development of this deposit,” the letter said. “As such, we cannot support the project and urge the Forest Service and the Permitting Council to ensure full transparency and increased local engagement in the permitting process.”
U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke made such calls earlier ... The delegation did not ask the Forest Service or permitting council to remove the project from the FAST-41 list, or “fast track,” although U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke made such calls earlier ...
We respectfully request that you take action to ensure that the Sheep Creek Project is removed from the federal FAST-41 transparency list and that it not be advanced through fast-track permitting. We also ask that you continue working to prevent federal support or investment in this mine...
Evidence
On December 2, 2025, Senator Tim Sheehy publicly opposed the approval of the proposed Sheep Creek Mine, stating, 'Regarding the Sheep Creek Mine, local Montanans have made their opposition clear, therefore I oppose efforts to approve the proposed Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from their fast-track list.'
On March 11, 2026, it was reported that Senator Tim Sheehy released a statement of opposition to the Sheep Creek Mine project, emphasizing the importance of local voices in public lands policy and urging the Permitting Council to remove the project from their fast-track list.
On December 9, 2025, Senator Tim Sheehy, along with other members of Montana's congressional delegation, sent a letter to the Forest Service and the Permitting Council expressing concerns about the Sheep Creek Mine project and urging for transparency and local engagement.
The Sheep Creek Project remains listed as 'In Progress' under the FAST-41 Transparency Projects on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
REalloys has signed an agreement with U.S. Critical Materials Corp. to secure supply from the Sheep Creek project in Montana, indicating ongoing development plans for the mine.
Despite public opposition and calls for transparency, U.S. Critical Materials submitted a draft Plan of Operations for the Sheep Creek project to the U.S. Forest Service, indicating continued pursuit of the project.
Conservation groups have called on the U.S. Forest Service to reject the operations plan for the Sheep Creek project, citing concerns over environmental impacts and lack of transparency.
The Bitterroot National Forest received a draft initial Plan of Operations for the Sheep Creek project from U.S. Critical Materials, indicating the company's intent to proceed with the project.
Montana's congressional delegation, including Senator Tim Sheehy, sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council urging full transparency and increased local engagement in the permitting process for the Sheep Creek project.
Senator Tim Sheehy publicly opposed the Sheep Creek Mine and urged its removal from the FAST-41 list, aligning with local opposition.
Senator Sheehy reiterated his opposition to the Sheep Creek Mine and called for its removal from the fast-track list.
According to a Bitterroot National Forest press release issued March 27, the draft initial plan of operations for the Sheep Creek Mine Project submitted by US Critical Materials on December 5, 2025 has been rescinded and the company anticipates submitting a revised proposal by the end of April.
The Bitterroot National Forest on Monday said that a mining company that owns mineral rights near the West Fork of the Bitterroot River has rescinded its draft plan for exploration of the Sheep Creek Project in order to submit a revised proposal by the end of April.
The Sheep Creek project is located in the Bitterroot National Forest, West Fork Ranger District in Ravalli County, Montana approximately 40 miles southwest of Darby, Montana. The project is near the Montana-Idaho border in the West Fork of the Bitterroot river drainage. The Sheep Creek project is focused on the exploration of gallium, samarium, scandium, neodymium, praseodymium and other economically viable heavy rare earth elements. This exploration project includes activities to maintain existing roads (approx. ¾ miles), secure and stabilize three existing adits, exploratory drilling and extraction underground inside adits, exploration drilling on surface with up to 10 boreholes with associated pads and road work, and other ore sampling activities.
We write as elected officials representing the people of Ravalli County, Montana. We oppose the development of the Sheep Creek Mine. The project poses significant risk to the Bitterroot River, a vital water source for our agricultural producers, recreation economy, and rural communities. Our constituents have raised serious concerns about potential impacts to water quality, public health, and the integrity of the Bitterroot Valley's environment.
On Dec. 1, hundreds of people packed the Hamilton fairgrounds for a Ravalli County Commission meeting about potential rare earth mining in Sheep Creek. A representative for U.S. Critical Materials described the company’s interest in exploring for rare earth elements as a futuristic mine with zero water use or pollution and zero mine waste left behind, as well as being imperative for American national security and prosperity. It was the kind of boilerplate cheerleading of new mining projects that you can find in newspaper stories going back to the Zortman-Landusky gold mine, the Beal Mountain mine, and the more recent Black Butte copper mine on another Sheep Creek (a headwater to the Smith River). The crowd groaned or snickered in knowing disbelief throughout the USCM spiel.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS IN PROGRESS. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING 05/21/2027. The project sponsor is US Critical Materials and the lead agency is the U.S. Forest Service.
There are currently no public meetings or public hearings planned for this project. Public comment periods will be dependent on the level of NEPA analysis that is determined to be necessary after acceptance of a complete initial Plan of Operations.
Assessments
Sheehy promised to oppose approval of the Sheep Creek Mine and encourage the Permitting Council to remove it from the FAST-41 fast-track list. During his same Senate term, he publicly opposed the project and urged removal from the fast-track list, and joined Montana delegation correspondence pressing federal agencies on the project. The project has not been removed and remains in progress, so the underlying permitting outcome is unresolved, but the specific promised action was advocacy and opposition rather than guaranteeing removal.
Senator Tim Sheehy publicly opposed the approval of the Sheep Creek Mine, repeatedly called for its removal from the FAST-41 fast-track list, co-signed letters to federal agencies advocating for transparency and opposition, and aligned himself with local opponents of the project. However, the Sheep Creek Project remains 'In Progress' and on the fast-track permitting list, with development plans moving forward, including submission of new or revised mining proposals and supplier agreements. There is no evidence that Sheehy's opposition or advocacy resulted in the project's removal from the fast-track list or halted the approval process. Thus, while Sheehy delivered on the advocacy and opposition aspects of his promise, the desired outcome was only partially met.
Senator Sheehy consistently and publicly opposed the Sheep Creek Mine project, called for its removal from the fast-track (FAST-41) list, and co-authored letters urging transparency and local engagement. However, development on the Sheep Creek Mine project continued, with key milestones such as a draft Plan of Operations being submitted and a supply agreement being secured, and the project remained on the fast-track list. Despite demonstrable legislative and public effort by Sheehy to oppose and delay the project, the promised policy outcome was not delivered.
Senator Tim Sheehy consistently expressed public opposition to the Sheep Creek Mine and called for its removal from the Permitting Council's fast-track list through statements, letters, and advocacy during his current term. However, available evidence does not establish that the mine was actually removed from the fast-track list or decisively blocked due to his efforts, so the promise is only partially fulfilled. His legislative and public advocacy indicate a substantial effort.