Recreation Economy

Lake Pend Oreille isn’t only a body of water. And the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness isn’t just a patch of forest. They’re magnets that attract visitors, residents and dollars. But how much draw will a polluted lake have? Can a wilderness diminished by the noise of industry attract hikers and wildlife watchers? If the Rock Creek Mine is permitted, the future of the region as a recreation destination will be jeopardized.

Businesses Depend on Tourism

The region surrounding the proposed Rock Creek Mine is thriving on an economy based on recreational tourism including sport fishing, hiking, hunting and boating. The area’s economy has also been boosted by the influx of amenity immigrants who have made the region home because of the quality of life it offers. Following the lure of a pristine environment, the new members of the communities have built homes, employing the skilled crafts people from Sandpoint, Idaho to Thompson Falls, Montana. The federal permitting agencies acknowledge that the Rock Creek Mine would bring to an end the recent surge in amenity immigrants and likely chase from the region many of those who moved here because of quality of life. Many of the local skilled crafts people would be left with limited options other than going underground to work in the mines.