Local elders and business owners raised red flags on the proposed Pebble mine nearly two decades ago.
Local communities advocated for Clean Water Act protections for the headwaters of Bristol Bay in 2014.
Local people showed up to testify against the Pebble mine proposal during the permit review process in 2019, and their opposition was echoed around the country.
Local sportfishing businesses partnered with national fishing and hunting organizations to call on President Trump to deny the permit for the proposed mine.
Now, local people and groups are continuing the tradition, and leading the way to establish durable protections for the lands and waters of southwest Alaska.
Last month, 90 percent of Pedro Bay Corporation shareholders voted to establish conservation easements on more than 44,000 acres, which would make those lands off limits to industrial development like the road that would be necessary for transporting ore from the proposed Pebble mine site. Specifically,
In exchange for the conservation easement, the Corporation would receive nearly $20 million, including $500,000 for education and cultural programs for those in the village.
The Pedro Bay Corporation retains ownership of the lands and local residents will still be able to access it for subsistence hunting and fishing, recreation, for cultural practices, and for various economic development, such as tourism.
The Conservation Fund, in partnership with the local Land Trust, have begun a fundraising effort to pay for the easement among organizations and individuals interested in conserving wild Alaska and the region’s iconic salmon populations.
The agreement creates a significant additional hurdle to constructing the proposed Pebble mine by blocking the “northern route,” which was once thought to be the least costly and most direct way to access the proposed mine site by road. It once again shows the power that local people have to safeguard their home lands and the fisheries they rely on from large-scale damage that could come from projects like the proposed Pebble mine. We must keep the pressure on to ensure protection for Bristol Bay.
Enter local people once again.
Last week, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski met with local Tribal organizations, sportfishing lodge owners, commercial fishermen and other stakeholders in Dillingham to talk about a long-term solution for protecting Bristol Bay’s world-class rivers and streams.
Perhaps the best and most durable tool for protecting Bristol Bay’s world-class fisheries is for Congress to pass a law safeguarding the lands and waters that feed into Bristol Bay. Specific details remain in the works, but the Senator stated that this was the first of many conversations with local stakeholders.
“This is kind of the beginning of stakeholder engagements and meetings, and we will be continuing this throughout the process.”
Another option also on the table is for the EPA to limit mine waste discharges into waters of the Bristol Bay region. Local groups have called on the EPA to use its authority under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to limit mining in the region. While the EPA’s use of 404(c) has gone back and forth in recent years, and Trout Unlimited continues to defend proposed 404(c) protections in court, finalizing 404(c) protections would place another massive roadblock in front of constructing the proposed Pebble mine.
Congressional legislation and Clean Water Act 404(c) protections —together— have the potential to provide the people and fish-based resources of Bristol Bay with durable assurance that large scale projects like Pebble won’t come back in the future. Photo: Mountain Mind Media
The future vision for the Bristol Bay region does not include the proposed Pebble mine, or any other similar proposal that threatens the nationally important wild salmon runs, trophy trout, abundant wildlife, and rich cultures that have characterized the region and sustained people for thousands of years. We thank the Indigenous people of the Bristol Bay region and locals who continue to be advocates for their homes and push for the highest level of protections for this national resource.
In order for legislation to pass or the EPA protections to become final, locals from the Bristol Bay region need support from friends across the country who recognize and understand the national and global significance of the Bristol Bay region . Tell the EPA and our elected officials in Congress to support permanent protections for Bristol Bay today.