Bear Meadows Media

Bear Meadows Media

MEDIA INFORMATION

STILLWATER MINING COMPANY and NORILSK NICKEL’S NORIMET Ltd. DONATION to ZOOMONTANA

  • Norilsk Nickel and Stillwater Mining Company wished to express a “Goodwill Gesture” to the people of Montana following their successful transaction in 2003.
  • Senator Conrad Burns, on behalf of Montana’s Congressional Delegation including Senator Max Baucus and Representative Dennis Rehberg, suggested a Russian Bear Habitat at ZooMontana.
  • Chairman and CEO of Stillwater Mining Company, Frank McAllister, met with ZooMontana’s Board Chairman, Tom Scott, to advance the Brown Bear proposal.
  • ZooMontana submitted a proposal to Stillwater Mining Company and Norilsk Nickel to sponsor a bear exhibit in October 2004.
    • The site for the Bear Habitat is approximately two acres of land at the southeastern corner of ZooMontana, near Canyon Creek (See ZooMontana Trail Map).
    • The bear holding facility will include a keeper’s room, service corridor, a transfer run, four holding pens inside and an outside holding pen (See preliminary design of Bear Holding Facility).
    • Fencing around the exhibit will be fourteen feet high chain link with tension wire and interior hot wire to contain the bears. Two viewing areas are proposed with 12 ft. by 12 ft. moats for safety purposes.
    • Landscaping and other design features will be compatible with adjacent habitats. Additional berms and plantings will be included to screen the exhibit from adjoining properties (See preliminary land design for the Bear Exhibit).
  • Norilsk Nickel’s Norimet Ltd. Provided $1,000,000 donation through Stillwater Mining Company for construction of the Brown Bear habitat in 2005.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between Stillwater Mining Company and ZooMontana has been signed for the Brown Bear habitat donation.
  • The target date for completion of the exhibit is July 2006.
  • An effort will be made to obtain Russian Brown Bears for the exhibit. Other bears may also be housed in the habitat.
  • Stillwater Mining Company will provide an additional $250,000 ($25,000 / year for 10 years) for operation and maintenance of the habitat.