British Columbia, Montana governments say no mining, drilling in Flathead Valley

BC, MT say no mines, oil or gas in the Flathead

BILLINGS, Mont. — Leaders of Montana and British Columbia said Tuesday they will ban drilling and mining in a remote valley along the US-Canada border that companies have tried to develop for more than a quarter-century.

Proposals for gas drilling, gold exploration and coal mining are all pending in the million-acre Flathead Valley, just upstream from Glacier National Park.

An agreement between Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell would put a halt to exploration work and prohibit future development. It will be signed next week in Vancouver.

Schweitzer says companies with money already invested in leases or exploration would be compensated through the Canadian and U.S. federal governments. That includes companies with drilling rights on at least 250,000 acres on the Montana side.