2009 Montana Mining - Montana Mining Association

CONNECTING THE DOTS
By Don Allen
In my years of representing Montana’s
resource industries, I have seen many
changes in the way things are done – all of
them improvements. Resource industries
including mining, oil and gas, timber, agri-
18 Montana Mining 2009
culture and motorized recreation – all of
which are involved in WETA – have implemented
more and more best practices in
their operations.
Mining can certainly hold its head high for
achieving higher environmental standards.
However, challenges continue to grow in a
number of familiar ways: The Endangered
Species Act, stricter water and air quality standards,
lawsuits by groups who do not want to
see development of our resources, and now
‘climate change’. Regardless of one’s views
on climate change, it has become part of the
political equation and industry needs to be
at the table. Climate change advocates are
using it to seek changes in how we live, work,
use our land and water and just about everything
else.
The Montana Mining Association is to be
congratulated for taking some very positive
steps in building relationships with state government
agencies and the public. Other
resource industries have also initiated various
educational programs to communicate
with leaders and citizens about the importance
of their respective industries. WETA’s
501(c) (3) non-profit foundation, the Western
Education Foundation for Resources, Inc.,
has run radio and TV ads in an effort to educate
the public about the positive role our
natural resource industries play in the economics
of communities and the state.
Still, we must do more. I believe one of
our biggest challenges is to connect the dots
between what people consume and their
understanding of where it all comes from.