Reclamation is an integral part of every Hecla project from the initial design process. We also communicate progress to and collaborate with local stakeholders to ensure we are aligned on closure goals such as returning the land to other productive uses.
All our sites are required to maintain up-to-date plans for reclamation and closure, and Hecla has committed more than $180 million to ensure mined lands are successfully reclaimed.
At the Troy Mine in Montana, we completed reclamation of the 300-acre Troy Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) in 2020. In 2021, we continued work on additional reclamation projects including the removal of facilities from U.S. Forest Service land.
Workers began the process of moving and placing almost 450,000 cubic yards of soil over 308 acres.
We partnered with tribal nursery to collect native plant seedlings and planted more than 200,000 trees and shrubs.
Final reclamation completed. A self-sustaining native forest community and wildlife habitat is already growing and coming to life.
Brown Bear on re-vegetated portion of the tailings storage facility.
Learn more about our reclamation work at Troy Mine.
Hecla has completed its reclamation project at the San Sebastian Mine in Durango State, Mexico. After several years of high-grade production from various open pits, we restored the land to be used again for agricultural purposes by the local community. The American Exploration & Mining Association (AEMA) presented us with the 2022 Environmental and Sustainability Excellence Award for these activities at San Sebastian in acknowledgement of our overall commitment to the highest environmental and sustainability standards.
Hecla’s biodiversity footprint is not restricted to our mine sites – the actions we take can extend to habitats and species that live and migrate beyond our direct operations.
Where possible, we consult with local communities and Indigenous Peoples for guidance and insight about wildlife. Plans include monitoring, studying, protecting, and supporting ecosystems.
To proceed with operations, Hecla Quebec had to detour the Kaackakosig Creek. The creek diversion required various authorizations from the provincial and federal governments. Throughout the permitting process, several stakeholders were solicited, including our Liaison Committee, the First Nations, and other organizations. These key stakeholders were involved in determining the actual use of the watercourse, the detour options, and the identification of compensation projects. Three compensation projects were accepted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), namely support to UQAT for the study of Lake Osisko in Rouyn-Noranda, the rehabilitation of the water link on a section of the Cadillac River located in the municipality of St-Mathieu d’Harricanna, as well as the stabilization of banks in a sector of Lake Berry.
Some of our operations in Nevada are located near greater sage-grouse leks, or breeding areas, and our operations seek to minimize impacts to this endangered species. During their breeding season, no exploration or construction activities are performed within three miles or line-of-sight of an active greater sage-grouse lek from one hour before sunrise to 10:00 a.m. Regular surveys are conducted by a qualified biologist with the results reported to the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Department of Wildlife. We also seek to improve greater sage-grouse habitat where possible.
Hecla Quebec continues to be a partner of a joint research project between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) and Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), to host the Industrial Research Chair focused on northern biodiversity in a mining context. The mission of the project, supervised by the Industrial Research Chair, is to understand mine footprints over the mine life cycle and develop developing strategies to minimize impacts on biodiversity of plants and animal species in the northern Quebec region.
In northwest Montana, Hecla owns approximately 8,600 acres of land of which approximately 6,400 acres were acquired with the goal of preserving the forest and associated watersheds as habitat for wildlife such as deer, elk, moose, and endangered species such as grizzly bears. For the past decade a Hecla owned subsidiary has donated approximately $500,000 to Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks to support a Grizzly Bear Management Specialist.
At Lucky Friday, we perform concurrent reclamation wherever possible while operations in other parts of the mine may still be in use. In 2021, we finalized reclamation plans for one of the site’s tailings ponds with plans to complete this work over the next several years.
8,600
acres of land owned by Hecla in Montana
6,400
acres of that are being used to preserve wildlife habitat
<4,000
acres disturbed company-wide at Hecla
