Lithium Mining Push Threatens Key Sage-Grouse Habitat in Oregon
The Trump administration's critical minerals agenda is accelerating lithium mining in Oregon's McDermitt Caldera, an area important for greater sage-grouse. Sage-grouse numbers have fallen sharply as sagebrush habitat shrinks due to climate change, invasive species, wildfires, and energy development. Local advocates fear the proposed McDermitt Lithium project will destroy a crucial mating ground and further endanger the species.
The McDermitt Caldera, straddling Oregon and Nevada, is an ancient volcanic basin with yellow soils, rare native wildflowers and springs that support threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout. Its sagebrush also sustains greater sage-grouse, whose numbers have dropped about 80 percent since 1965 as over a million acres of habitat vanish yearly.
The U.S. currently has one active lithium mine, Albemarle’s Silver Peak in Nevada. A database compiled by journalists suggests at least six new lithium projects could be extracting by 2030, with 13 more soon after and many additional proposals marked by claims. The project’s owner pledged to pause drilling during sage-grouse breeding season.
The project could affect local residents, Tribal nations and wildlife in and around the McDermitt Caldera. Increased lithium extraction may support battery supply chains, yet it could also intensify water use in a dry region and disturb sage-grouse leks and other habitat. Communities already harmed by past extraction may bear new burdens, while conservation advocates may challenge approvals. The outcome may shape how the energy transition balances mineral demand with fragile ecosystems and local concerns.