Over the course of the past 120 days, commercial fishermen, sport anglers, Native Alaskans, chefs, tourism operators and friends of Bristol Bay from across the country have answered the call and stepped up to the plate. They’ve loudly and clearly told the Army Corps of Engineers that Pebble mine is wrong, and that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is inadequate in addressing the risk that this project poses for southwestern Alaska.
As the comment period closed on Monday, we wanted to take the opportunity to give you a readout on comment collection, and to say THANK YOU for showing up yet again for the fish, jobs, people and traditions of Bristol Bay.
Hundreds of thousands of comments were submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers by people whose relationship with Bristol Bay reaches many ends of the spectrum. Some were directly tied to fishery, while others simply care about protecting the best of what’s left when it comes to wild salmon habitat. Tother, they wrote to the Corps and said once again, “wrong mine, wrong place.” These comments can be added to the more than 2 million voices who have opposed Pebble in comment periods over the past decade. Together, we have sent a crystal clear message that we will never allow an irresponsible and greedy mining company to ruin what is thriving, what is providing American jobs, Alaskan culture and has existed since time immemorial.
This incredible show of support for Bristol Bay would not be possible without you. We have had the opportunity of working with some incredible groups of people who have gone above and beyond to help collect comments. Thank you to our friends at Orvis, the Fly Fishing Film Tour, Pride of Bristol Bay, Wild for Salmon, Fly Out Media, Patagonia Action Works, our intrepid group of Bristol Bay lodges and outfitters, and many others for the tireless work you did this spring and summer. Thank you to each one of you who stopped by our booths at sport shows, submitted comments online, and asked questions to truly understand the intricacies of the issue.
But until there are permanent protections in place for Bristol Bay, there is always more work to do. Not all of our elected decision makers have yet to stand up for their constituents and get involved in this fight. An amendment passed through the U.S. House of Representatives in June that would stop the permitting process for Pebble. Now, the ball is in our Senators' court, and it's time for them take action. Please call your Senators and encourage them to stand up to Pebble and stop its flawed permit review once and for all.
We couldn't do the work we do without you. Because this fight is far from over, we ask for your financial support to kick us in to our next challenge in fighting Pebble. A $5 donation can buy a coffee and catch up with a Nushagak fisherman who is taking personal time to lobby his decision makers in Congress. A $500 donation can send a Bristol Bay lodge owner to Washington, D.C. to meet with elected decision makers and advocate for protection for the place that employs thousands. Any amount in between is used to further the cause, and make sure that we are fighting Pebble effectively and efficiently. Please donate today.
Stay tuned for the next action item that leads us closer to saving Bristol Bay indefinitely from the proposed Pebble mine.