Apologies for steppin’ on Hamma’s recent post about dry-side douchebaggery and the Snake River…read that after you read this. Be sure to click through to the EPA letter and check out the businesses and organizations that signed on – that way, the next time you have a dollar or two to spend in the outdoor industries, you know who your friends are.
—
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Thursday, February 24, 2011
Hunters, anglers, sportsmen call
on Obama administration and
Environmental Protection Agency
to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska
More than 360 outdoor organizations join forces and ask the EPA and White House to stand up for sportsmen and protect Bristol Bay
Washington, D.C. – A united coalition of fishing, hunting and sporting organizations from nearly every U.S. state joined together on Thursday to ask the federal Environmental Protection Agency to use its authority to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska from the dangers of the proposed Pebble Mine.
More than 360 organizations, ranging from fly fishing groups to big game hunters, signed a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, urging her to use the agency’s authority under the Clean Water Act to protect Bristol Bay from large-scale mining and development. Next week, representatives of these groups will meet with legislators and agency members in Washington, D.C. to ask for support.
“A huge open-pit mine in the Bristol Bay region could destroy one of the world’s most productive fish and game habitats, kill tourism to this international hunting and fishing mecca, and eliminate jobs from the United States,” said Brian Kraft, owner, Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge and Alaska Sportsman’s Bear Trail Lodge.
The EPA took the first step toward protecting the Southwestern Alaskan region on Feb. 7, when the agency announced plans to assess the Bristol Bay watershed to better understand how future large-scale development projects may affect water quality and Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery.
“Hunters and anglers commend the EPA for taking this first important step,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “Bristol Bay is the single most important wild salmon fishery in the world. It generates roughly $450 million a year in economic impact and sustains about 12,000 jobs. We are confident that after the science and other public input are considered, the EPA and the Obama Administration will stand with sport and commercial fishermen and the people of Alaska to protect the extraordinary ecological, economic and cultural value of this place and this fishery.”
Bristol Bay is a 40,000 square mile region with nine major rivers, and is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon run. Pebble Mine would create an open-pit mine up to two miles wide and 1,700 feet deep. Operated by multi-national mining interests, this mine could dump up to 10 billion tons of perpetually toxic waste in the heart of the Bristol Bay watershed. This area is known for frequent earthquakes, which puts the watershed – and all its fish and wildlife – at an even greater risk for long term toxic pollution and severe damage to the fishery.
“Protecting Bristol Bay is currently the number one conservation issue for the United States fly fishing industry,” said Jim Klug, Chairman of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. “More than 150 sport fishing product companies have directly signed on to support protecting Bristol Bay’s fish and game habitat and economic resources, and hundreds more have voiced their opposition to Pebble Mine. We strongly urge the EPA and Obama administration to protect this amazing place.”
Sport fishing in Bristol Bay generates $60 million annually, and supports more than 800 full- and part-time jobs. Despite the remote nature of the region and the costs to travel there, up to 65,000 visitors journey to Bristol Bay for recreational opportunities to fish, hunt, and view wildlife every year.
“This unique, wild country stands today as God intended, and a mine in the heart of Bristol Bay would cause irrevocable harm,” said Dr. Richard Allen, Past President of the Dallas Safari Club. “The real gold mine is already in Bristol Bay – it’s the salmon, trout, wildlife and the jobs and American families that those fish support.”
Whit Fosburgh, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said: “Over the last century, we have watched our great salmon fisheries sacrificed for development, including the Sacramento, the Klamath, and the Columbia rivers and many in between. Bristol Bay is our last great stronghold for wild salmon – salmon that will support regional economies and provide protein for the world forever if we protect them.”
In the letter to Administrator Jackson, the organizations thank the EPA for the first step, but urge stronger action to protect Bristol Bay. The EPA has the authority under the Clean Water Act to invoke Section 404(c), which would give Bristol Bay the protection it needs from mining and other large-scale developments.
Full text and signatories to the EPA letter here
For more information, contact:
Lesley Rogers, (206) 334-1483 or LesleyR@strategies360.com
Scott Hed, (605) 351-1646 or scott@sportsmansalliance4ak.org
Just in from AP:
KENNEWICK, Wash. — Washington Rep. Doc Hastings says he’ll use his position as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee to block any bills related to breaching lower Snake River dams.
Hastings says salmon runs are recovering under current management practices and dam breaching is the last resort.
The Tri-City Herald reports the Republican congressman was in the Tri-Cities Wednesday and spoke to the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club.
Hastings says he’s concerned that tearing down any Snake River dam puts every other dam at risk. Environmentalists favor removing dams to restore Snake River salmon runs.
It’s sort of a sketchy approach in between the RedNeck Ride and the crab pots, but as long as the neighbors don’t berm up the street we can probably get up enough speed to clear the back fence.
Little more of a lip on this bad larry and we’re home free.
for more info, do not click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Cutler
A challenge to Montana’s Stream Access Law working its way through the State Legislature. Yep, Anglers are rightfully opposed.
The hilariously named Idaho Governor, Butch Otter, gets all foamy and sad over new federal regulations to protect the bull trout. He should go cry on Larry Craig’s shoulder. Also, the Idaho Reporter gets my nod for “best headline”.
In “not at all related” news, 1 in 5 anglers had to either cancel a trip or stop fishing an area due to access problems.
In good news, Florida FWC drafts rule to make bonefish a C&R gamefish protected from harvest.
Republican Lawmakers are to Fucksticks as Sky is to
a) blue
b) unicorn
c) lamp
d) bandsaw
The OCD Fly Tier
=
German Experimental Rock
Krautrockers would spend 6 months recording a magnum opus, which is an album side cut of the drums and guitar in a single, unvarying, rythmic loop. This much like the OCD fly tier, who spends 6 months riffiling the bins at fly shops, garage sales and flea markets looking for obscure, late 19th century East Ossetian #25 hooks because otherwise this fly won’t be exact. Much like the krautrock drummer who can expertly imitate a drum machine for 4 hours, the OCD fly tier can produce a dozen gross griffin gnats; each is undistinguishable from the others under an electron microscope. Despite having a garage filled floor to ceiling with flies, he will compulsively tie new flies for each trip, if he took the time to actually fish. His lead wraps are sole sourced from the Sheffield lead deposit in the UK, which was the original lead used to first weight a fly.
He can see that your EHC’s use 16 strands of generic elk belly hair, while everyone, besides rank amateurs like yourself, uses 13 strands of belly hair from an elk harvested in the Teton valley. In spring. Only in odd number years. With an even numbered hunting license tag.
Your feeble efforts do not impress him.
Just lobbed across the wire -
{start}
Release date: 02/07/2011
Contact Information: Contact: Marianne Holsman, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-1237, holsman.marianne@epa.gov
Assessment responds to concerns of tribes, businesses, and others about development proposals
(Anchorage, Alaska—Feb. 7, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct a scientific assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed to better understand how future large-scale development projects may affect water quality and Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery, an extraordinary salmon resource for the United States. EPA initiated this assessment in response to concerns from federally-recognized tribes and others who petitioned the agency in 2010 to assess any potential risks to the watershed.
“The Bristol Bay watershed is essential to the health, environment and economy of Alaska,” said EPA Regional Administrator Dennis McLerran. “Gathering data and getting public input now, before development occurs, just makes sense. Doing this we can be assured that our future decisions are grounded in the best science and information and in touch with the needs of these communities. We look forward to working with Alaskans to protect and preserve this valuable resource.”
In 2010, nine federally-recognized Bristol Bay tribes petitioned EPA to use its authority under the Clean Water Act to protect Bristol Bay. Their concerns focused on the potential Pebble Mine project. Two other tribes asked EPA to wait for mining projects to submit permit applications before taking action.
This action today does not represent any regulatory decision by the agency; instead it represents EPA’s proactive steps to better understand the watershed and gather important scientific information. This information gathered will inform any future guidelines or actions about how to protect the waters and promote sustainable development.
Bristol Bay is an important source of wild Pacific salmon for commercial, recreational, and subsistence users. It produces hundreds of millions of dollars in annual fisheries revenues. The area may be the last major watershed in North America that produces historic numbers of wild salmon. Most of the Bristol Bay watershed is wildlife refuge or park where large development is restricted. EPA’s efforts will focus on those areas that are not protected.
EPA’s assessment is not limited to examining the effects of hard-rock mining projects, but will consider the effects of large-scale development in general.
The assessment, which will focus primarily on the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds, will be informed by scientific peer review, tribal consultation, federal and state agency participation, as well as public and industry input.
EPA will accept and consider public input during development of the watershed assessment and will continue to work closely with tribal governments, state and federal agencies as we undertake this analysis.
{end}
AK governor Sean Parnell (R) had sent a letter of complaint to the EPA last year, voicing his opposition to any such scientific assessment, while Rep. Don Young (R-AK) has filed legislation that seeks to remove the EPA’s “Veto Authority” under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act – with 75% + of Bristol Bay’s residents opposing the proposed Pebble Mine, I am not particularly sure these guys have their constituency’s best interests in mind.
If clean water and healthy, sustainable runs of wild salmon are important to you, I urge you to let your voice be heard. Click on THIS LINK to sign on to the Save Bristol Bay petition going to the EPA, asking EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to initiate the 404(c) process for the headwaters of the Nushugak and Kvichak rivers in Bristol Bay.
There are times when it seems like all I ever see in the news is the negative. I can be a fairly pessimistic person, so perhaps my natural bent leans towards finding what’s tore up in the world. It was pretty damn nice to see a post on The Headhunter about a couple of guys making it happen for Project Healing Waters. If you don’t know, Project Healing Waters is about helping vets with the physical and emotional rehab process through fly fishing. Helping out vets who need it is most worthy in my book, so when Adipose Boatworks figured out a way to overcome some of the difficulties with putting a wheelchair in a drifter, shot, my eyes got all damn misty. I’m looking at the bow platform they fabricated and one I’m struck by how professional it looks, and how you know they spent some money to get it right. That is money you know they aren’t going to recoup by selling those commercially but they did it anyway so a young kid can fish without being limited by his wheelchair.Nice work by all involved.
Just got this in an email from Angling Trade:
A well-orchestrated group of of thieves is targeting Colorado flyshops. So far they have made off with several thousand dollars in merchandise. The group is stealing high end product. Among the shops hit thus far: Laughing Grizzly, Angler’s All, Charlie’s Fly Box, Trout’s Fly Shop, Orvis Cherry Creek, and Rocky Mountain Anglers. Thefts occurred February 2-3.
Suspects are two couples, Middle Eastern or Latin in appearance, well groomed and dressed fashionably. Once couple distracts the store staff while the other steals merchandise. Suspects have called ahead and verified that you are indeed a specialty fly shop. Cell phone area codes that have been used are (402) and (815). A Maroon passenger van with an Illinois license plate # K714 248 was used by the suspects.
I want my line back.
I KNOW there are a few of you out there that know where this pic was taken, and unlike me, you know about the big-ass boulder (or tree, or car, or Italian guy in concrete and chains) that sits in the bumpy water, down from the chute about 50′ and close to the greasy seam below the island.
If any of y’all happen to find a funky-colored bright orangish skagit head exactly 26′ 4″ long and weighing in at 500gr attached to 11′ of t-11 and a fish skeleton, it’s mine.
You can keep the fish skeleton and the dirty, dirty fly, but I want my line back.
From The Bay Daily:
Law-breaking on the water is so common that 43 percent of the active watermen in Maryland were charged with violating the state’s commercial oystering and fishing laws in 2008, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources figures quoted in the report.
“It’s a severe problem,” aquaculture specialist Dr.Donald Meritt of the University of Maryland says in the report. “I don’t like to use the word ‘poaching,’ because ‘poaching’ gives it almost a sportsman’s connotation, and it’s not. It’s theft.”
I’m in a bit of rush, so I’ll follow up on this later.
Enemy of Clean Water and the Santa Rita Mountains Jamie Sturgess, VP of Rosemont Copper
I’ve written periodically and somewhat haphazardly about our own local pit mine, the Rosemont Copper mine, which will be gouged into the east slope of the Santa Rita Mountains. Despite the economic downturn and the attendant plunge in commodity prices, which I hoped would be a death knell for this project, Rosemont is barreling full steam ahead. Last week, Rosemont had a full on propaganda blitz in town and the linked article is full of great mis-information. Of course, the aptly misnamed VP of Sustainability, Jaime Sturgess, (falsely) claimed that Rosemont would fully recharge the aquifer to compensate for the mine’s water draw to conduct cyanide heap leaching.
However, his most honest statement was that “[w]e’ve known right from the get-go that we had to have the best approach and the best way to communicate it so people would allow us to open a new mine.” Which means, “we really had to figure out which package of bullshit you wanted to hear so we could blast open a moutain range, draw down the aquifer, dump cyanide in what water remains, and best part of all, skip town when the price of copper drops.”
Due to the 1872 Mining Law, if the price of copper drops, the Candian company Rosemont gets to declare bankruptcy, shutter the mine, lay off the locals and leave it to someone else to clean up the mess. That’s what Jaime Sturgess neglected to mention.