Pebble Mine Prospect in Bristol Bay Region

Many hunters, anglers, commercial and subsistence fishermen, and members of the general public share a deep-seated fear of the giant Pebble Mine prospect in the heart of Alaska's renowned Bristol Bay region. Should the entire Pebble prospect be permitted, it would become the largest copper/gold mine in North America. The dams that would be necessary to hold back the settling ponds containing toxic tailings would be the largest dams in North America. These earthen dams would be built in one of the most active earthquake zones in Alaska. The pollution-free waters below these yet unbuilt dams, and downstream from the proposed mining and milling sites, support and sustain the world's largest remaining wild sockeye salmon runs and a host of other salmon and fish species, along with a wealth of bird and wildlife species.

It isn't any wonder that many people fear, and thus oppose, Pebble. But many also wonder if those fears are valid, and urge Alaskans to let the process of developing a mine plan and acquiring permits from federal and state agencies move forward before jumping to any conclusions.

ABHA has worked behind the scenes on this issue, commenting on various Board of Fish proposals and legislative bills that seek to take away or provide more protections to the Bristol Bay region. Our conservation mission entails that we stay informed and comment on issues that affect fish and wildlife and habitat. (A list of our comments, an ABHA editorial in the Anchorage Daily News, along with further information, is linked below ).

We understand, respect, and appreciate Alaska's constitutional mandate to utilize the state's natural resources �for the maximum benefit of its people� in a manner that also protects and conserves fish and wildlife populations and the habitat they depend upon.

But the above constitutional directive is not actually being followed, and this is the reason why ABHA opposes Pebble Mine even before the final mine plans have been made public. We do not believe that Pebble Mine will prove to be for the �maximum benefit� of Alaskans over the long term; rather the maximum benefit will accrue financially to multi-national foreign corporations that will not be held liable for any long term damages to our water, our lands, our fish and wildlife, and our way of life. Neither do we believe that the state of Alaska has adequate safeguards in place; our long-standing system of checks and balances was severely eroded during the Murkowski administration at the behest of the mining and timber industry that sought to �fast track� new mines and logging operations in Alaska. Governor Murkowski undid processes wisely in place since statehood and now the benefit of the doubt goes to project developers and projects like Pebble Mine, rather than the resource and habitat. Such a dramatic shift in habitat safeguards is simply unacceptable.

We urge all hunters and anglers to inform themselves of the poor track record of industrial grade mines in Alaska and elsewhere and to weigh the substantial long-term risks of such mines to a place like the Bristol Bay region against the short-term benefits to Alaskans and our state economy. Alaska's wealth and value is very much in part the pristine nature of its land and waters, and the ability of this healthy habitat to support and sustain such a diverse amount of wild fish and game that so many of us (whether commercial, sport, or subsistence) depend upon. We owe it to future generations of hunters and anglers not to compromise such a valued public treasure.

Links to more information (pdf files)

ABHA Comments on House Bill 41 to return Habitat permitting authority to Fish and Game

ABHA Comments to Board of Fisheries on forming a Bristol Bay Refuge

ADFG Habitat Biologist Matthew LaCroix's testimony before the legislature on Habitat Permitting changes

ABHA Comments to Alaska legislature on Senate Bill 67 to form the "Jay Hammond State Game Refuge"

ABHA editorial in Anchorage Daily News on Pebble Mine and Permitting changes

Alaska Law Review - Large Mine Permitting Process

A Review of Industrial Hard Rock Mining in Alaska by Ann Rothe/Halcyon Research