TRCP Petition To Help Protect Bristol Bay Watershed

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has posted a petition letter you can sign to ask the Environmental Protection Agency to follow through with its plans to implement permanent protections for the Bristol Bay watershed. Here’s the information from the TRCP with the text of the letter:

And here’s the letter being sent out with your name:

Southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay is a paradise for sportsmen and sportswomen. It ranks as one of the most iconic fishing destinations on Earth and produces about half the world’s sockeye salmon. In addition to being one of the most important regions in Alaska for brown bear viewing and hunting, Bristol Bay also provides pristine wildlife habitat for moose, caribou, black bear and large populations of migratory waterfowl. 

The infamous proposed Pebble Mine would carve out an open pit at the headwaters of Bristol Bay’s two largest rivers, threatening clean water and fish habitat. Somewhere between 1.2 billion and 11 billion tons of mine waste could then remain in the area forever. 

For years, the support of outspoken hunters and anglers has been critical in the fight against Pebble Mine. And once again your voice is needed to ensure Bristol Bay is conserved for future generations. 

Please speak up now and urge the EPA to enact commonsense protections against mine waste in this region. 

Protections for Bristol Bay – EPA–R10–OW–2022–0418
Dear EPA officials,
I am writing regarding the potential 404 permit for the proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. I urge you to adopt the proposed protections that would keep this pristine region off-limits to risky large-scale mining development. It is clear to anglers, hunters, and conservationists that this mine would threaten a sporting paradise. Bristol Bay is recognized as one of the finest fishing destinations on Earth. Tucked away in an isolated corner of southwest Alaska, it produces about half the world’s sockeye salmon. The proposed Pebble Mine would carve an open pit from the headwaters of the Bay’s two largest rivers, threatening clean water and pristine fish habitat there and for 208 miles downstream. Somewhere between 1.2 billion and 11 billion tons of mine waste could then remain in the area, putting our recreational fishing, as well as the area’s robust commercial fishing economy, at risk.

For over a decade, a broad coalition of stakeholders including local Tribes, a majority of Alaskans, commercial fishermen, and hunters and anglers from across the country have voiced their opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine and their desire to see Bristol Bay safeguarded for future generations. It is time for the EPA to expedite the 404(c) process and conserve this landscape without delay. In order to do so, the outcome of this process must include protections for several watersheds critical to the productivity of Bristol Bay, including the North Fork Koktuli, South Fork Koktuli and Upper Talarik Creek, all of which are under threat from Pebble and other proposed largescale mines. Please finish the job now and ensure that Bristol Bay’s pristine lands and waters are protected in perpetuity.
Sincerely,