Voices for the West—Fool’s Gold: Digging into the Proposed Stibnite Mine

Mining company Perpetua Resources’ proposed open-pit cyanide leach Stibnite Gold Mine threatens to pollute headwater streams and clean air, imperil salmon runs, and degrade critical wildlife habitat in one of the West’s most ecologically significant landscapes—Idaho’s South Fork Salmon River watershed. The massive mine’s location within the homelands of the Nez Perce Tribe, and adjacent to Idaho’s Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, also would prevent Tribal and public access to cherished locations, further impacting the communities that depend on these resources. 

Join our next Voices for the West webinar on April 15 at 11 a.m. PT/12 p.m. MT to examine one of the most controversial mining proposals in the country. In this timely discussion, we will be joined by Shannon Wheeler, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee; Sydney Anderson, Mining and Policy Manager at Idaho Rivers United; Josh Johnson, Central Idaho Director at the Idaho Conservation League; and Bryan Hurlbutt, Staff Attorney at Advocates for the West.

From the headwaters of the South Fork Salmon River to downstream communities, panelists will unpack the far-reaching risks this massive gold mine poses—and what’s being done to protect these irreplaceable resources. 

Register to attend the webinar

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Shannon F. Wheeler currently serves as the Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC), the governing body of the Nez Perce Tribe. He was elected to the NPTEC in 2016 and in May 2025, was elected to his fourth three-year term. During his time on the NPTEC, he has served as Chairman, Treasurer, and Chair of Budget and Finance, Land Enterprise Commission, Law and Order, and Climate Change/Energy subcommittees with a focus on restoring the strength of the native economy through food sovereignty, traditional foods, salmon restoration, cultural resource protection, and economic development. 

Chairman Wheeler’s entrepreneurial spirit began at the young age of five, when he started selling vegetable and flower seeds to his community. This early drive later grew into managing larger businesses, and since 1990, he has been a licensed retailer for the Nez Perce Tribe. As an elected official, he has played a key role in establishing the Tribe’s Day Labor Program, developing the Nez Perce Tribal Water and Sewer Utility Authority, developing Nimiipuu Energy, acquiring multiple retail enterprises and properties, and collaborating with federal and state agencies on resource and land management across the Nez Perce Tribe’s aboriginal territory. 

In addition to his leadership within NPTEC, Chairman Wheeler is the Executive Producer of the Emmy Award-winning documentary Covenant of the Salmon People. This 60-minute film highlights the Nez Perce Tribe’s ancient vow to protect the Chinook salmon. Through his leadership, the Tribe continues to advocate for salmon restoration, dam breaching on the Lower Snake River, and the protection of Tribal treaty rights, holding the federal government accountable for its role in these critical environmental and cultural issues. 

Chairman Wheeler’s journey from a young entrepreneur to a progressive Tribal leader reflects his unwavering commitment to economic development, natural resource management, and cultural preservation. His work is guided by his connection to his culture and his unwavering commitment to speak up for all relatives of the Nez Perce, including the salmon and Southern Resident orcas. Whether in the mountains, on the river, or in the office, his work honors his heritage and community but also contributes to the ongoing fight for environmental justice and Indigenous rights.

Sydney Anderson is Mining and Policy Manager at Idaho Rivers United. Sydney grew up in Oregon and earned a B.S. in environmental sciences from Oregon State University. Pursuing an MPA at Boise State University brought her to Idaho, where her studies focused on environmental governance and geographic information analysis.

At IRU, Sydney gives a voice to our watersheds by working to protect them from irresponsible mining practices, and reform policy to better preserve our natural resources. Sydney’s passion lies in protecting the beautiful outdoor spaces that we get to enjoy, especially our rivers.

Josh Johnson is the Central Idaho Director for the Idaho Conservation League based out of ICL’s field office in Ketchum. Josh uses his technical background in geology, experience in environmental education, and love for the outdoors to protect those very things that make Idaho a special place to live. His work at the Idaho Conservation League includes public lands, mining, air and water quality, and efforts to clean up the Snake River in southern Idaho.

Josh earned a B.A. in geology at Middlebury College and a M.S. in geology at the University of Colorado. He also worked as an interpretive park ranger in the Tetons and a naturalist at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies prior to joining ICL in 2017.

Bryan Hurlbutt is Staff Attorney at Advocates for the West. Bryan joined Advocates for the West in September 2011 and works mostly on cases with the Idaho Conservation League. He has successfully litigated and settled numerous cases to protect Idaho’s wild lands, rivers, fish, and wildlife. 

Bryan grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho, studied physics at Colorado College (2004), and earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School (2010). During law school, Bryan spent as much time as he could in the Columbia Environmental Law Clinic and worked as a summer law clerk at Hudson Riverkeeper (2008) and the Waterkeeper Alliance (2009).