RIPPLES OF CHANGE - MINING BAN PROPOSED FOR SMITH RIVER HEADWATERS

The Smith River is California’s last major undammed river—a living sanctuary for wild salmon and steelhead, and a lifeline for the surrounding forests, wildlife, and communities. Set deep within the biologically diverse Klamath Mountains, this river system is not only a natural wonder—it is sacred ground.

For the Indigenous tribes, the Smith River is much more than a waterway. It is a place of origin, of ceremony, of food, of identity. Generations have fished these waters, cared for these forests, and fought to protect them. But today, their ancestral lands and lifeways face a grave new threat.

An international mining company is pushing to open a nickel mine in the headwaters of the North Fork Smith River—putting clean water, salmon habitat, and tribal rights at risk. Hard-rock mining is the largest source of toxic pollution in the U.S., and the Smith River's future hangs in the balance.

This film tells the story of this place—through the voices of tribal leaders, conservationists, anglers, and local residents who have come together to stop this threat and ensure permanent protections for one of the last intact wild river ecosystems in the West.

This is more than conservation. It’s cultural survival. It’s climate resilience. It’s a chance to right historic wrongs and build a better future—together.

Now is the time to act.
Support the legislation to **ban all mineral extraction in the headwaters of the Smith River Basin and across the Klamath Mountains**—not just for the fish, but for the people, the forests, the future.

???? Take Action: https://smithriveralliance.org/petition-to-include-oregon-in-the-smith-r-national-recreation-area/
???? Learn More About the Proposed Legislation: \https://smithriveralliance.org/petition-to-include-oregon-in-the-smith-r-national-recreation-area/
???? Support Tribal and Local Efforts: https://www.yuroktribe.org
???? Share the Film. Raise Awareness. Join the Movement.

#ProtectTheSmith #NoMiningInHeadwaters #TribalSovereignty #SalmonStrongholds #KlamathForever #IndigenousRights #ConservationNow #WildRivers