The Katahdin Region is No Place to Put a Mine
An untested and underfunded company, Canada-based Wolfden Resources Corporation, Inc. has proposed building a zinc metal mine at Pickett Mountain, in the shadow of Baxter State Park and the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument.
The Katahdin region’s wild beauty and pristine water are extraordinary. This ecologically important area holds cultural significance to the Wabanaki tribes and keeps local outdoor recreation companies and sporting camps in business.
The threat this mine would pose to the region’s clean water and high-value fisheries is too big of a risk for Maine to take.
Protecting Maine’s North Woods
The area Wolfden wants to mine is next to three State Heritage Fish Waters and is a centerpiece of the region’s essential outdoor economy.
It contains the headwaters of the West Branch of the Mattawamkeag River, which is sacred to the Penobscot Nation and provides key, federally designated critical habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon.
The region is just miles away from two of Maine’s most popular public lands, the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument and Baxter State Park. These iconic landmarks provide the foundation for economic activity in local communities and hold important historical and cultural significance to the Wabanaki Tribes and Maine people.
Overwhelming Opposition to Wolfden’s Proposal
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Penobscot Nation, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, represented by Earthjustice and Brann & Isaacson, have joined the Conservation Law Foundation in petitioning to intervene in the review of Wolfden’s permit application to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) to rezone the area for industrial uses.
As part of the review process, the LUPC will conduct a formal hearing of Wolfden’s request including expert witness testimony. LUPC staff will then make a recommendation to Commissioners who will make a final decision.
Wolfden Can’t Be Trusted
The proposed zinc mine at Pickett Mountain is being pursued by a virtually unknown Canadian company, Wolfden Resources, that has never operated a mine before. Many of its claims are not credible. For example, Wolfden has said it would treat wastewater more effectively than any mining company on earth—even though it has never operated a mine, ever.
After being forced to withdraw its initial request because it was riddled with errors, Wolfden submitted a second rezoning petition in January that sparked another review by the LUPC.
Comments by Wolfden’s CEO have demonstrated contempt for the region and those who value it by disrespecting Maine Tribes and mining laws have prompted outrage from the Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and conservationists. The company has lost tens of millions of dollars over the past decade.
Get Involved
- Send the LUPC a comment opposing Wolfden’s mine
- Deliver testimony to the LUPC in-person. Please let us know if you plan to attend.
- Monday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m. in Millinocket at Stearns Jr./Sr. High School, 199 State Street
- Tuesday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Millinocket at Stearns Jr./Sr. High School, 199 State St, Millinocket
- Monday, October 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Bangor at the Cross Insurance Center, 515 Main Street (There will be a rally beginning at 5:15 p.m.)
- Sign up to receive email updates
- Send a letter to the editor
Learn More
- Read our two-page fact sheet
- Commentary: The Katahdin region is no place for a large mining operation by Chief Clarissa Sabattis and Chief Kirk Francis
- Opinion: Proposed mine in Katahdin region would harm cherished trout, salmon fisheries, by Rep. Bill Bridgeo
- News release: Maine Tribes and Leading Environmental Organizations Join Forces to Oppose Proposed Mine in Shadow of Katahdin
- News release: Wolfden Revives Failed Plan to Mine in Shadow of Katahdin
- Blog: Wolfden Withdraws Mining Application after Strong Rebuke from LUPC
- To access documents related to Wolfden's original rezoning petition, click here, and sign in with user name doc and password mejuri1
Banner photo: Aerial view of Pickett Mountain as seen from Pleasant Lake, by J.Monkman/NRCM