Featured Press Release
Prominent national Republicans come out in support of Bristol Bay
ANCHORAGE—Prominent Republicans Donald Trump Jr. and Nick Ayers, former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, today tweeted in support of Bristol Bay and against the proposed Pebble Mine.
U.S. House votes to stop corrupt Pebble approval process
ANCHORAGE—The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to block funding for the corrupt process hurtling the underfunded, scientifically lacking Pebble Mine toward “yes” over Tribal, scientific, fisheries and Alaskan objections. The block came in the form of an amendment to the minibus spending package — H.R. 7617 — that defunds a Record of Decision for the proposed Pebble Mine.
U.S. Army Corps rubber stamps proposed Pebble Mine
ANCHORAGE—Via U.S. Postal Service, SalmonState today received from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Pebble Mine: a massive gold and copper mine and toxic waste dump proposed for the headwaters of the largest sockeye salmon run on the planet. The Corps’ conclusions in the FEIS are largely the same as the Draft EIS, which was blasted as woefully inadequate by scores of scientists, mining experts, Tribes, and federal agencies, not to mention thousands of Alaskans.
Statement on impending final Pebble environmental assessment
ANCHORAGE— On July 24, the world will know for sure what the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Pebble Mine, proposed for the headwaters of Bristol Bay, will say — but the Army Corps has deferred to the D.C. based lobbyists and executives behind the proposed Pebble Mine throughout its evaluatory process. The most recent evidence is the Corp’s assertion that the northern transportation route for the mine was determined to be “practicable” simply because the Pebble Partnership said it was practicable, despite staunch opposition and letters from Pedro Bay Corporation, Igiugig Village Council, and the Bristol Bay Native Corporation. They are landowners along the route, have asserted there is no possibility Pebble will receive permission to access their lands, and have told the Army Corps that the route should not be considered practicable. Why is the Army Corps considering Pebble’s definition of “practicable” more important than that of landowners who are staunch opponents of the mine and have been for years?
Pebble’s Last-Minute Change of Plans a Classic “Bait and Switch”
ANCHORAGE— Today, in a stunning change of direction that calls into question the validity and legality of the ongoing Pebble Mine permitting process and Environmental Analysis, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a new preferred road and infrastructure access route to the proposed megamine in Bristol Bay’s headwaters.
Executive Order Threatens Future of America’s Fisheries and Fishing Families
On Thursday May 7, the White House issued an Executive Order “Promoting American Seafood and Economic Growth,” which the Trump Administration claims to protect America’s seafood supply chain. Despite its intentions, the Executive Order is raising concerns amongst Alaska and the nation’s fishing and conservation communities due to its emphasis on increasing farmed fish production in U.S. waters.
Alaska fishermen and conservation groups urge Washington organization to address real issues facing Northwest Chinook and orcas
Juneau, AK – SalmonState, Alaska Trollers Association and Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association are joined by sport and charter fishermen to condemn the Wild Fish Conservancy’s recent misguided decision to attack Alaskan fishing families, rather than the underlying cause of the Southern Resident orca population’s decline: the decades of destruction of the Pacific Northwest’s freshwater habitat vital to Chinook salmon, an important food source for Southern Resident orcas.
SalmonState considering all options as EPA continues to suppress science
ANCHORAGE, AK—SalmonState and its co-plaintiffs are considering all available options after a procedural ruling of dismissal in the lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“This ruling does not in any way change the fact that a mine of the size, type and location of Pebble will have a negative impact on the renewable resources of Bristol Bay and will not meet the standards laid out in the Clean Water Act,” said SalmonState Executive Director Tim Bristol.
Alaska Commercial Fishermen Survey Launches: Online Survey Responses Due May 1
JUNEAU, AK – Seafood directly employs more workers than any other private sector industry in Alaska, and is the foundation of many rural communities (McDowell 2020). To ensure fishermen’s voices are heard in the response to and mitigation of COVID-19 related impacts, today SalmonState is kicking off an online fisherman’s survey. The organization is seeking to hear directly from Alaska’s commercial fishermen about the challenges and opportunities faced by independent fishermen, families, and communities. The survey seeks input and guidance from fishermen as the seafood industry adapts to COVID-19 in the 2020 season.
Pebble Mine preliminary FEIS is a capstone to a corrupt, scientifically inadequate process
SalmonState stands by the United Tribes of Bristol Bay’s assessment that when it comes to the proposed Pebble Mine, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to disregard the scathing feedback it has received from scientists and scientific agencies, as well as the clear directives to address the shortcomings in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project from lawmakers such as Senator Lisa Murkowski. The Corps released its preliminary Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed mine to Cooperating Agencies and Tribes yesterday, shortly after meetings at which Cooperating Agencies continued to raise grave concerns with the Corps about the proposed project’s impacts.
SalmonState joins Bristol Bay organizations in fighting for science in court, calls for EPA General Counsel Matthew Leopold’s resignation
ANCHORAGE—Today SalmonState is suing the Environmental Protection Agency and calling for the resignation of EPA General Counsel Matthew Leopold for recent actions that threaten the health of the world’s largest sockeye salmon run and the communities and business owners who depend on it.