It's a call to action.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says now is the time for High River residents to contact their elected officials about their opposition to open pit coal mines on the eastern slopes.

He says provincial maps show the Class two lands where the Province is allowing the mines, stretches into Kananaskis Country and the headwaters of the Highwood River and Cataract Creek.

"We're not going to sit by and wait for these mining companies to show up on our doorstep before we start pounding the table as to what's going on, what're you doing and how are you doing it," he says. "The removal of this policy just takes so many protections out of play."

Snodgrass says the UCP government needs to rewind the decision so citizens get a chance to have their voices heard.

"The only people they (the Province) talked to was the Coal Association of Canada and the coal companies so that's just wrong, it's juvenile," the mayor says. "They need to rewind that and get the public consultation put back in place so the people of this province have a says in what goes on in these lands and not just government and not just industry."

He says town council has sent a letter of opposition to Premier Jason Kenney, Environment Minister Jason Nixon, Energy Minister Sonja Savage and Livingstone Macleod MLA Roger Reid.

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