Sign on Opportunity to Oppose Opening Bristol Bay to New Mining
Wednesday, February 25, 2009(National Wildlife Federation)
Opportunity to sign letter to oppose mining in Bristol Bay, AK. Sign on letter opportunity deadline is March 4, 2009. Please provide signer's name and title, organization name, city and state to NWF Regional Representative Matt Little little@nwf.org
This letter is an opportunity to join
NWF's Alaska Affiliate, the Renewable Resources
Coalition, and sportsmen groups nationwide to
oppose the opening of Bristol Bay, home to the
world's largest and healthiest salmon run, to
new mining.
The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary of Interior
1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665
Washington DC 20240
RE: Protection of Fish and Game Resources in the Bristol Bay Watershed
Dear Secretary Salazar,
We the undersigned hunting and angling businesses and organizations representing millions of sportsmen, outdoor recreation groups and related businesses congratulate you on your appointment as Secretary of the Interior. We sincerely appreciate your past leadership on conservation issues in the United States Senate and look forward to working with you in your new role to conserve the rich hunting and fishing traditions in Alaska.
As hunting, fishing, and outdoor enthusiasts, business owners and representatives and members of organizations who care deeply about the long-term health and productivity of the Bristol Bay watershed, we are deeply concerned about an attempt by the previous administration to remove protections for fish and wildlife in the Bay Resource Management Plan. Over 1 million acres of the Bay RMP lie adjacent to the Nushagak and Kvichak Rivers - two of the most productive wild salmon producing rivers in the world. The Bristol Bay watershed also supports healthy runs of five species of Pacific salmon, trout, artic char, grayling, northern pike, and Dolly Varden. The region is home to populations of caribou, moose, and bear which are pursued by both sport and subsistence hunters. From an economic standpoint, the region’s sport,! commercial and subsistence fisheries generate approximately $320 million per year and provide jobs for some 12,500 people. Unfortunately, the current RMP fails to account for the natural values in this area and unnecessarily jeopardizes a world class fishery and sporting destination.
The undersigned businesses and organizations respectfully request that the Bureau of Land Management maintain the current prohibition on hard rock mining and oil and gas development on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Bristol Bay region. We further request that the BLM supplement the Bay RMP to analyze an alternative that will ensure the long term health of this world class commercial, sport and subsistence fishery.
We are convinced that your agency can produce and implement a land use plan for Bristol Bay that will generate economic opportunities while also conserving sporting and indigenous traditions for future generations. We look forward to working with the BLM as we move quickly to reverse the wrong-headed decisions that were made in the closing months of the last administration and implement a common sense plan for fish and wildlife in Bristol Bay.
Sincerely,
[sign-ons]