Bills to Save Bristol Bay

In January of 2007, two bills were introduced in the Alaska State Legislature in effort to gain permanent protection for its world renowned fishery resources.  An astounding level of public comment in support was received for both bills during the 2007 legislative session, but unfortunately, neither bill moved out of committee last session.  Trout Unlimited helped organize testimony around these Bills at field hearings this fall in Bristol Bay.  Again, there was overwhelming support from resident within the region.   TU will support these bills in the 2008 legislative session and plans to help move them forward.


Testimony at Fall 2007 Field Hearings in Bristol Bay.  Alaska Senators and Representatives traveled to the region to listen to local concerns. 

Senator Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) introduced SB 67, the Jay Hammond State Game Refuge Bill, which seeks to protect fish and wildlife habitat for about 6 million acres of state land in the Kvichak and Nushagak river drainages of Bristol Bay.  SB 67 would establish the Jay Hammond State Game Refuge to protect “public use of fish and wildlife and their habitat, particularly subsistence, commercial, and recreational fishing, hunting, trapping, viewing and general public recreation in a high quality environment.”  The bill would establish higher standards for protecting habitat and public uses of fish and game from other uses, by requiring that other uses, such as large scale mining, be compatible with habitat protection and fishing, hunting, trapping and uses of fish and game. (Track SB 67 and see full text)

Representative Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham) introduced HB 134, the Alaska Wild Salmon Protection Act, which would protect Alaska’s greatest salmon fishery by prohibiting the withdrawal, obstruction, pumping or pollution of surface or subsurface water in any Bristol Bay drainages that support salmon. The Wild Salmon Protection Act seeks to protect wild salmon throughout the Bristol Bay watershed, including the five major river systems that flow into Bristol Bay, home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon runs.  Edgmon’s bill adds common sense safeguards to legislation championed 35 years ago by Alaska’s late Governor Jay Hammond during his time in the Alaska State Senate. The legislation also prohibits the destruction of salmon habitat, creates a fining schedule for violating these protections, and protects existing water uses including sport, subsistence and commercial fishing uses as well as village and municipality uses.  (Track 134 and see full text)

At the request of Alaska State legislators, Trout Unlimited recently submitted testimony to the House Fisheries and Senate Resources Committees addressing concerns regarding existing statutory standards used by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in large mine permitting and potential changes to the standards.   This letter also directly addresses S.B. 67 and H.B. 134.   (See Memo.)