Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will visit Montana Monday to make an announcement about public land conservation near Yellowstone National Park.
The visit comes after Montana elected officials, business owners, and environmentalists raised concerns about two gold mining proposals north of Yellowstone.
The Obama administration this week blocked new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean and canceled dozens of energy leases in western Colorado and northwestern Montana.
Jewell is scheduled to appear in Pray, Montana on Monday with Gov. Steve Bullock, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Agriculture Undersecretary Robert Bonnie.
Last month, Tester asked federal officials to block the mining proposals by withdrawing 31,400 acres from federal mining and leasing laws.
Crevice Mining Group is seeking permission to explore for gold near Jardine. Lucky Minerals wants to look for gold and other minerals near Emigrant.
(by Associated Press)
