Great article, and well written. It does sound like the state and the proponent are legitimately taking the buckwheat habitat seriously, though I’m not sure it will be enough given how sensitive that plant is and how limited it’s distribution.

Re-arranging a mine plan takes a ton of effort, from baseline surveys requiring redoing if the footprint changes, to revising feasibility studies; all of which require consultant time ($$$).

All of this goes to show how badly the US wants a green transition