"Obama Administration Moves To Block Mining Near Yellowstone"

"Federal officials on Monday moved to block new mining claims at the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park, the latest push by the Obama administration to protect environmentally sensitive areas during the president’s final months in office.

Mining claims will be prohibited on about 30,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land near the park’s northern entrance in Montana. The prohibition will remain in effect for two years while officials gather public comment and evaluate whether to designate the area off-limits to new mining claims for an additional 20 years.

'There are good places to mine for gold, but the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park is not one of them,' Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a statement. 'Today’s action helps ensure that Yellowstone’s watershed, wildlife and the tourism-based economy of local communities will not be threatened by the impact of mineral development.'"

Brady Dennis reports for the Washington Post November 21, 2016.