Overview:
The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments through August 28, 2026, on a proposed rare earth open-pit mine near Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) in Wyoming.
The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments on a proposed open-pit rare earth mine near Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge), a sacred site of profound cultural and spiritual importance to the Lakota and other Indigenous Nations.
Rare Earth Minerals Inc. has submitted a plan of operations for the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project, which would include a more than 100-acre open-pit mine operating for nearly 20 years.
The proposed project is located approximately 12 miles north of Sundance, Wyoming, and would encompass about 1,060 acres of U.S. Forest Service land and 640 acres of private property.
Opponents say the project threatens the cultural, spiritual and ecological integrity of Mato Tipila and surrounding lands.
The mine could affect air quality and expose the environment and nearby communities to radioactive or hazardous elements associated with rare earth mineral extraction and processing. Concerns also include potential impacts to wildlife and habitat, including the northern long-eared bat, as well as local water resources and water quality.
Environmental concerns include acid rock drainage and potential radiation risks associated with processing rare earth-bearing mineral deposits.
For Indigenous people, however, the potential impacts extend beyond environmental concerns. Mato Tipila is a sacred landscape, and opponents argue that industrial mining in the area would constitute a desecration of a place that holds deep cultural and spiritual significance.
The proposed project also raises broader questions about how the federal government balances the growing demand for critical minerals with its responsibility to protect sacred Indigenous sites and the lands, waters and wildlife connected to them.
The Forest Service is currently accepting public comments on the proposed project. Those who oppose the mine are being urged to submit comments and call for protection of Mato Tipila, Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth) and the surrounding ecosystem.
The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments on the proposed Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project through August 28, 2026.
Submit your comment HERE.
