Protect Bristol Bay
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Bristol Bay
Alaska

Save Bristol Bay in Alaska

Bristol Bay is home to the largest salmon fishery in the world. All five North American pacific salmon species plus rainbow trout and dolly varden use Bristol Bay tributaries near Pebble Mine for spawning. Pebble Mine proposes to extract copper-molybdenum-gold ore from a large deposit in the Bristol Bay watershed of Alaska.  

Pebble Mine plans to create a large open pit mine using earthen dam holding ponds. Concentrated mineral slurry from the mine will be piped to a port on Bristol Bay. Mine owners have applied for permits to use roughly 35 billion US gallons per year in operations. The proposed Pebble Mine is in a seismically active area with known fault lines (Alaska-Aleutian megathrust and Castle Mountain-Lake Clark fault system). Accidental discharge from the mine would be released to the watershed and likely cause serious harm to the fisheries.


MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT - January 2023

Fly Fishers International has worked with our many Conservation Partners for decades providing “public” and “technical comment” illustrating the undeniable threats the proposed Pebble Mine and other mining operations propose to the Bristol Bay system and the world-class salmon fishery it supports. 

The Environmental Protection Agency is to be applauded for their “Final Determination” that is based upon “best available science” to establish permanent protection to the Bristol Bay Watershed.  Protection of Bristol Bay in this manner serves as a global example of how important it is to preserve health and function of our natural landscapes for fish, wildlife, our own qualities of life and the planet!

Read EPA's Final Determination


FFI's Actions

  • 8/9/21 - Bristol Bay - Letter to Administrator Regan of the US Environmental Protection Agency urging immediate action under provisions of the Clean Water Act to provide permanent protection to Bristol Bay in Alaska, consistent with promise of President Biden. See Agency response re: letter to Administrator Regan.
     
  • 4/4/21 - Bristol Bay - Signed on to a letter to President Biden regarding perpetual protection of Bristol Bay.
     
  • 12/9/20 - Bristol Bay - Signed on to letter to members of U.S. congress regarding protection of Bristol Bay.
     
  • 11/12/20 - Bristol Bay - Signed on to letter calling on Congress to take several actions that will help defend Bristol Bay
     
  • 8/14/20 - Joint Natural Infrastructure WRDA Process - Signed onto a letter in support of numerous provisions in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.
     
  • 8/13/20 - Bristol Bay Oversight - Signed onto letter thanking Chairwoman Maloney, Chairman Rouda, and Congresswoman Speier for their leadership.
     
  • 7/24/2020 - Signed onto a letter asking Congress to support the amendment offered by Representatives Huffman and Defazio. Amendment #50.  
     
  • 8/12/19- Posted social media (Facebook, etc.) supporting Bristol Bay fundraiser coordinated by Save Bristol Bay Coalition.
     
  • ​8/22/19- Second social media post supporting August 24 Fund Raiser for Bristol Bay. This was done at the request of the Save Bristol Bay coalition of which we are a member. 
     
  • 8/22/19- Sent letter supporting alternative legislation on Bristol Bay to 100 clubs and councils targeted by Scott Hed, coordinator of the Save Bristol Bay coaliton. 
     
  • 8/22/19- Sent Conservation E-News (25,000 fly fishers) on Bristol Bay encouraging members to contact their Senators. This E-News also included a fund raising promotion for Bristol Bay. 
     
  • 6/5/19 - Bristol Bay - Pebble Mine - Sportsman letter Bristol Bay DEIS Final 06032019
     
  • 10/16/17 - Bristol Bay - Pebble Mine - Bristol_Bay_Comment_Docket_EPA-R10-OW-2017-0369_16OCT17
     
  • 4/10/17 - Bristol Bay - Pebble Mine - Re_ Bristol Bay _ Pebble Mine - Letter to President Trump - April 2017
     
  • 6/21/16 - Bristol Bay - Pebble Mine - Sportsmen_House_Nat_Res_Letter_Pebble_Chair_June 2016_Final

Dr. Sam Snyder, located in Anchorage, has worked on Alaska conservation issues for many years and is presently with the Wild Salmon Center.  Sam’s a great source of information on the latest situation related to Bristol Bay and Pebble Mine. 

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