Support the Crow Revenue Act and Bull Mtns Act
I am writing in support of federal legislation introduced to ensure the continued operation of the Bull Mountains Underground Mine.
Governor Gianforte and the State of Montana have done all they can to keep Montana’s mines operational; withstanding the failures of the federal judiciary and bureaucracy.
However, the checkerboard mineral ownership necessitates that Congress get involved and pass one of the bills Senator Daines has introduced. These bills include S.4431 (reauthorizing the federal mining that was approved nearly a decade ago) and S.4444 (Crow Revenue Act, providing critical revenues for Crow Tribal Members in light of the Absaloka Mine closure).
Signal Peak Energy, operator of the Bull Mountains Mine, paid approximately $96 million to state and local government in 2023 with over $34 million going directly to Montana K-12 education. The Mine employs nearly 300 workers and contractors with high paying jobs. These mining families live in Musselshell and Yellowstone Counties and provide vital economic support to businesses in Roundup, Shepherd, Huntley and Southeast Montana.
In the absence of bipartisan Congressional action by the end of the year, the long-term viability of the Bull Mountains Mine is threatened. Miners will be laid off, needed tax revenues will be lost and an important linchpin of local communities will be gone. For Montanans who care about the Bull Mountains, care about funding our K-12 schools and understand the importance of American energy, we cannot allow that to happen.
Dusty Weber
Park City
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