From: David J Otten <info@midasgoldcomments.com>

Sent: Friday, October 23, 2020 6:59 AM

To: Support Stibnite; jay.natoli@gmail.com; natalie

Subject: Thoughts on Stibnite Gold Project

U.S.F.S. Officials,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the Stibnite Gold Project as part of Midas Gold Idaho's comment period. I have been closely following Midas Gold Idaho's plans since they first came into our state, in large part because much of the proposed project will take place on public land. The more I have learned about the project, the more excited I am about the possibilities for the future.

Salmon have been cut off from miles of high-mountain spawning grounds and rearing habitats since roughly 1938, when the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River (EFSFSR) was diverted around the Yellow Pine Pit. The only way for salmon to reproduce is by stocking them in Meadow Creek, where spawning occurs. We need to do better. As part of Midas Gold's proposal in Alternative Two, the company would design and install a fish passageway to help connect fish to their native spawning grounds for the first time in decades. The passageway would be built using best practices learned from successful examples used around the world. And it would be constructed before mining even starts. Once mining at the Yellow Pine Pit is complete, Midas Gold would begin full restoration of the river, creating a long-term solution for salmon to spawn upstream. In the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the U.S. Forest Service found that removing these historical barriers to migration will help local fish populations by increasing productivity.

Midas Gold Idaho wants to invest $1 billion in our state, bring more than 1,000 jobs to rural Idaho and still provide access to Idaho's public lands. This is the type of project our state needs. And with the coronavirus, we need it now more than ever. The USFS has provided sufficient time to review the document and provide comments. It is time to move forward. I highly encourage the U.S. Forest Service to pick alternative 2 as the preferred alternative for the Stibnite Gold Project.

Most Respectfully,


Name: David J Otten
Email: dveotten@gmail.com
City: Forest
State: AZ