The Nez Perce Tribe accused the U.S. Forest Service on Monday of violating its treaty rights by approving a giant, open-pit gold mine in the headwaters of the South Fork of the Salmon River — an area where tribal members have fished for hundreds of generations.

Perpetua Resources (TSX:PPTA,NASDAQ:PPTA) has secured final approval from the US Forest Service (USFS) for its Stibnite gold project in Idaho, advancing the redevelopment of the long-dormant site. The approval follows eight years of interagency review,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service approved the Stibnite Gold Project, releasing the final record of decision on Friday.

The U.S. Forest Service has issued a final record of decision approving the Stibnite Gold Mine Project in Central Idaho’s Payette National Forest, green-lighting what could become one of the largest gold mines in the United States.