EMIGRANT — Standing on her property in scenic Park County, Jessica Lexow points toward the rolling hills that have been her home for the past six years.
“We’re in North Glastonbury,” she said. “If you look down here, you can see the Yellowstone River. The Old Saloon is over this hill.”
Lexow moved to Emigrant after working at Yellowstone National Park and says the area’s beauty and community drew her in.
“We love the community, we love the beautiful views, all the endless opportunities for recreation — hunting, hiking,” she said.
WATCH: Emigrant residents push back on gravel pit plan
But her quiet mountain oasis could soon change. A proposal for an 80-acre gravel pit off North Old Yellowstone Trail has resurfaced, sparking concern among nearby residents.
Lexow first learned about the project a few years ago when the Park County Environmental Council sent an email to area homeowners.
“There ended up being a ton of initial pushback, and it was kind of tabled,” she said. “We didn’t hear anything about it for a while.”
That changed in early February, when a Park County Commission agenda included, “Discussion sending letter of support to State Land Board for gravel pit north of Emigrant.”
For Lexow, whose home is less than a mile from the proposed site, the project raises serious worries.
“We’re concerned about how it will affect our well, we’re concerned about noise pollution, actual air quality, and just how it affects the wildlife that travels through here,” she said.
Lexow also fears the pit could block access to nearby state land where she and neighbors hunt each fall.
“We had a neighbor who was able to harvest a buck mule deer there last year,” she said. “He wouldn’t have had that opportunity without access to that state section.”
Park County Commissioner Mike Story said the commission’s letter of approval was never sent, and the county has no official say on the proposal.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) confirmed Riverside Contracting submitted a lease application for 80 acres of state trust lands to produce aggregate for ongoing road reconstruction in Yellowstone National Park and for local construction and maintenance projects. The DNRC said the application will require approval from the State Land Board, though no meeting date has been set.
Lexow has already sent a letter to the Land Board opposing the pit.
“It’s important to note how big the opposition is to this,” she said. “All my neighbors are constantly texting about it, emailing about it. Everyone is very, very concerned.”
A petition against the proposed gravel pit has gathered more than 1,500 signatures.
The Park County Commissioners' letter of support can be read here: https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3894575/Letter_of_Support_Emigrant_Gravel_Pit.pdf
The DNRC's full statement can be read here:
"Riverside Contracting submitted an application to lease 80 acres of state trust lands for aggregate in the north half of the northwest corner of the tract located in Section 22, Township 5 South, Range 8 East. The majority of the aggregate resources proposed in the lease application are intended to support ongoing road reconstruction efforts in Yellowstone National Park, as well as local construction and road maintenance projects. The lease applicant, Riverside Contracting, has been awarded a contract to conduct projects within Yellowstone Park through May of 2029.
The application received by DNRC is for leasing the 80-acre tract. The lease application will require approval from the Land Board. A meeting date for the Land Board to take action on the lease application has not yet been scheduled. Written public comments may be submitted at any time before the meeting by emailing DNRCEmigrantGravel@mt.gov.
Environmental review and permitting for opencut mining are completed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. No mining may occur at the site until an opencut mining permit is approved and an environmental review is completed in accordance with the Montana Environmental Policy Act.
State trust lands are unique lands that were granted through the Enabling Act to generate revenue that supports Montana schools and other institutions. Managed by DNRC, state trust lands generate income through agriculture, grazing, timber, minerals (including aggregate), real estate and renewable energy leases, as well as recreation licenses. The beneficiary for this tract is the University of Montana."
