There was a contentious meeting Wednesday with angry questions from local residents about the Crevice Mountain Mine. Plans are for the mine to be located just outside the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, in Montana.

Michael Werner, who heads the Spokane-based Crevice Mining Group said that the company would move ahead and dig for gold despite the passage of a permanent ban on new mining claims on nearby public lands.

The announcement of the mine and public meeting came just weeks after President Donald Trump signed a bill that permanently withdraws mineral rights from 30,000 acres in the northern mountain park area. That means nobody will be able to stake new claims on those federal lands.

This is private land, where two companies have plans. The state of Montana has approved Lucky’s exploratory drilling proposal. The company has not yet posted a reclamation bond but could begin work once it does so.

The question for residents of Wyoming is, what will these new rule changes mean for mining and the search for coal gas and oil near Wyoming's border with Yellowstone?

Thanks to the Billing's Gazette for this story. A more in-depth look can be found here.

More From KGAB