NICE TO SEE THIS STORY GETTING SOME LEGS! - COPPER MINING THREATENS MONTANA’S SMITH RIVER

Yellow Dog has been getting a lot of attention this week after the Montana Mining Association (the trade group for Montana’s mining and extractions industries) suggested its members boycott Yellow Dog in response to a story that was recently run by Field & Stream Magazine online. The story - written by Yellow Dog’s Sarah Grigg - called attention to the proposed mine project on Montana’s Smith River. The story of the MMA’s response to the article and their call for members to boycott Yellow Dog has been picked up the Associated Press and is running all over the country! This may not be the response that the MMA was looking for!

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Reply to Montana Mining Association’s planned boycott of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures. Let me begin by telling you that Sarah Grigg does not work at Yellow Dog. She was an employee here last year, but recently departed for a new job at a fishing lodge in Idaho.

As for the article itself, Yellow Dog had nothing to do with the content that apparently has the Montana Mining Association so upset. That said, I think her article on the Smith River is great. It is well researched and - in my opinion - spot on. I have to be honest and tell you that we're not really that concerned about pleasing or appeasing the mining association.

As a company and a Montana business, we align ourselves with and (whenever possible) speak for sportsmen, Montanans who love the outdoors, and the thousands of Montanan jobs that are directly related to outdoor recreation, clean water and access to our state's rivers and streams. On a personal level, I have always believed that mining plays an important role in Montana's economy. Responsible and appropriate mining is an important contributor to Montana jobs and to our overall economy.

Outfitting and businesses that are directly related to outdoor recreation play a much larger role, however. Dollars generated, jobs created, annual visits from out-of-state tourists.... the numbers related to outdoor recreation and sportfishing in Montana dwarf most other industries (mining included). Here are few sportfishing-specific numbers that you might be interested in:

+ Annual retail sales in Montana that is directly related to sportfishing: $349,913,000.00 + Annual state and local tax revenue generated by sportfishing: $36,895,000.00 + Jobs directly related to sportfishing in the State of Montana: 5,375 + Annual salary and wages generated for Montanans by sportfishing: $147,910,000.00 *2011 numbers via the American Sportfishing Association

As far as overall outdoor recreation numbers for the State of Montana:

+ Outdoor recreation generates $5.8 billion in consumer spending in the State of Montana each year. + Outdoor recreation is responsible for 64,000 Montanan jobs + Outdoor recreation generates over $1.5 billion in wages and salaries in the State of Montana each year. *Numbers from the Outdoor Industry Association

Our company does not have a problem with responsible mining, not at all. We just don’t like the idea of this particular project in this particular place. On that level, we wholeheartedly agree with and support Ms. Grigg's recent article. Our company is proud to speak for and support outdoor recreation, access and clean water here in Montana. If that position upsets the MMA, then I am okay with that. Jim Klug Director of Operations - Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures

Feel free to weigh in and let your voice be heard! SUPPORT MONTANA’S GUIDES AND OUTFITTERS!